Blood and Fire
by Onhiro
Summary: Tokyo, 2016 AD. Japan is ruled by the dictator Shishio. There is, however, a shadow of the night that all fear, the Hitokiri Battosai. OOC. KenshinxKaoru, SanosukexMegumi, AoshixMisao, SaitoxTokio, YahikoxTsubame.
1. Blood and Fire

**AN- this is my first attempt at a Rurouni Kenshin, and I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please leave reviews and tell me if I should continue or simply take this off of fanfic. This disclaimer applies to ALL chapters of this story: I don't own anything that Nobuhiro Watsuki thought up and published.**

**Warning, this fic is set slightly in the future, you'll see what I mean.**

CHAPTER ONE:

Tokyo, 2016 AD. It was a time of chaos, anarchy, and death. The terrorist Shishio Makoto had unleashed a horrible virus upon the world as a form of revenge against the government for failing its attempt to bring the death penalty that the madman so rightfully deserved. The death by burning did not kill the man, and instead left him horribly scarred and bitter.

Therefore Shishio gathered his Juppongatana, the league of assassins that he had formed during his early days as a criminal. He used all his resources, and eventually managed to create what he aptly called the "Darwin Virus." It was named as such because if you were 'strong' enough, you would survive the disease. And Shishio had somehow managed to engineer the virus so that the disease made the victim feel the flames that he felt burning within his body every single day.

People died in the thousands. Governments were destroyed, nations were crippled. There was no law and order. It was viewed almost as if it were Armageddon, so people decided that they should do whatever they wanted in the final days of their lives. Nationwide riots happened all over the world. But eventually it was discovered that infants were immune to the Darwin Virus. The survivors were encouraged to have as many children as possible so that the next generation might still be strong.

Still, what was left of the governments in most of the world powers became isolationist. Now there was only the knowledge of the here and now. No one cared what was happening in different countries, they were concerned only about themselves.

And still things worsened. Plague, famine, and war was prevalent. Cities learned to become independent, and each needed to guard what crops they had against other cities and marauders. It was a horrible time to live. Sometimes if you were lucky, you might be able to have one small meal a day. Otherwise you went without.

It was this world that Shishio took over. He chose Japan as his base of power, and it was undoubtedly even worse after he took control then before. He left everything the way it was, only he made sure to 'conscript' the children being born so that they might become the world's best warriors, so that he could force a new Imperial Japan to become the ruler of the world, all under _his _control.

It was not long before he launched his attack. China fell, that country which seemed to be hit the hardest by the virus. Then Korea, and then a huge portion of Russia. Most of South Asia.

But there were some who resisted this horrible conquest. The Middle East ended their internal struggles, and joined forces under one flag. The new United Muslim Alliance strengthened their borders. If Shishio was truly intent on ruling the world within only a few years, then he could have taken them.

But Shishio new better than to waste most of his soldiers taking over only that small little section of the world. And the Europeans also joined together as the European States of Freedom. And the US refused to let their pride dwindle. They had managed to counter the Darwin Virus well enough that they were still a powerful nation. They sent ambassadors to Canada, Mexico, and all the other little countries that made up North America, including Cuba. Soon the UCNA was formed, the United Countries of North America. They were undoubtedly the strongest of Shishio's enemies, but he was more intent on conquering Asia and Australia, and then Europe, and then Africa. Then he could gather forces to take on the UCNA.

But there were also resistance forces within Japan itself, and though they had kept their heads low, finally they were gaining enough strength to overthrow Shishio. This is the story of one such resistance member: the feared Hitokiri Battôsai…

BLOOD AND FIRE

The rain fell steadily, drowning out both sound and sight. The sun had set some four hours ago, and within the city itself, there was no movement. But outside of the once mighty Tokyo, well that's a different story all together. A group of dark clothed men approached a dojo stealthily. Not one of them, however, noticed the figure that moved behind them.

The figure was naught more than a silhouette that flitted from shadow to shadow. Even when looking at the figure, it was hard to believe that it actually existed, that it wasn't some optical illusion caused by the rain.

The group of men stopped in front of the dojo's gate, and the two men leading the mob pounded on the door. One was tall, whilst the other was short. The shadow drew close enough to hear the men talking.

"Are you sure that this is alright, Kihei?" the large one asked.

"Of course it is little brother! Lord Shishio said that there was no problem in our…'claiming' of this land. And then we can sell this crappy dojo for enough to go to someplace nice, like New Zealand, or Hawaii." When the dojo remained silent, Kihei sighed. "Gohei, the door, if you would."

The larger man grinned as he stomped up to the door. As he pulled out his large 10 gauge shotgun, he answered. "Oh, I would alright!" With a thundering boom, he kicked the gate down.

He entered, followed by most of his men. Kihei pointed to two of the men. "Stay outside, and guard the door. Let none escape alive."

"Yes, Hiruma," they murmured simultaneously. As Kihei strode into the dojo, the two guards took up their positions flanking the broken gate. Soon the roaring blast of a shotgun was heard. More gunfire followed its wake, their sporadic chatter cracking into the night.

"Man, I wish we could get in on some of the fun. Instead we are stuck here, making sure nothing gets out!" one whined.

"Yeah," the other answered.

"But it is not the inside that you should be worried about," a new voice said, its icy tone seemingly coming from nowhere. "It is the outside!"

The two thugs didn't even get the chance to react. There was a flash of perfect steel, and then they were both on the ground, dead. The shadow stepped over them and the blood that was coloring the puddles red so that he, for it was undoubtedly a he, could enter the dojo.

The man instantly got close to the shadowy wall. He was completely clothed in black, and could seemingly become invisible. He flicked the blade out, the blood flying from the flawless katana and red droplets. He had done it that t almost seemed like he was bored, despite the fact that he had just kill two men.

He calmly sheathed the sword, and unslung a rifle, a Colt M4 Carbine to be exact. His black gloved hands played over the action of the rifle as he switched the safety so he could fire. Methodically pulling back the bolt and letting it snap forward again, he made sure that the silencer fitted onto the barrel was still attached correctly. He pushed a button on a device that was attached to the side of the rifle, and an ultraviolet laser sight turned on. He aimed the rifle, and gave a small grunt as he evidently saw the little dot of light through his night vision goggles. He casually scratched the left side of his face, which was covered in a black full faced hood.

He ejected the magazine that was still in the rifle, and pulled another full magazine out of pouch on his tactical vest, placing the half empty mag into the now vacant pouch.

It was then that he stepped forward from the shadows, rifle already braced against his shoulder. There was a loud clatter to his left, and the rifle swung around to point at a handful of men coming out of what was probably a storage house. "Man, there's nothing of value in ther-" one of the men started, only to be interrupted by the form of a 5.56mm bullet connecting with his forehead.

The shadow easily took down the four other men before he turned his attention towards the main house. He quickly and quietly moved towards the broken door that led into the interior.

Immediately the man noticed the smell of fire, and the hallway was starting to fill with smoke. He moved even more quickly down the hallway, pausing at the first doorway he came to. He looked inside, but then almost immediately looked away. There were two bodies in their, probably the master of this dojo and his wife. They had been mutilated because they had been shot so many times. He started moving again, only to notice that the fire was coming from the kitchen that was at the end of the hallway. It was rapidly spreading, as well.

Then he heard the sounds of a fight. He ran to the source, his feet making no noise. He stopped at the shoji through which the sounds came from. This room was the dojo main practicing hall. A young girl was desperately fighting Hiruma Gohei with a bokuto. She stood over a wounded and unconscious boy with unruly black hair.

He scanned the room, and noted Kihei in the corner by a chest, holding what appeared to be a deed to the dojo and its lands. But there were also twenty or so of the thugs in the room. The man sighed as he gently placed his rifle upon the ground and drew his katana.

"I do not like someone fighting an innocent girl for their own sick pleasure," he said calmly, and everyone in the room jumped with shock. "If you wish for a sword fight, then challenge me."

Kihei didn't even pause. "Kill him!" he said without any pity, nor concern. Twenty guns were instantly trained upon the man. They fired, and the girl screamed.

But the man had simply flickered out of view before the first shot had been fired. "Guns won't work against me, and you are now dead." There seemed to be a streak of darkness that rushed past the men and the bright flash of a sword being swung. Red was suddenly everywhere, on the floor, on the walls, on the ceiling, and on the katana of the man. "Not even worth my time," he murmured quietly.

Gohei turned away from the girl and towards the man as he drew a sword out of what had previously been mistaken as a bokuto. "And now you die!" he roared as he charged. His arms upraised, he prepared to strike down what was actually a surprisingly short man. But then Gohei stopped as he noticed the blade that had been slammed deep into his side.

"You just…don't learn, do you?" the man asked. "Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu style. Battojutsu." And then he slammed his other hand against the back of the blade, shearing through Gohei's chest. As the body hit the floor, the man pointed his sword at Kihei. "And now there is one left."

In the flash of an eye, Kihei had taken out a pistol and fired. Again the girl screamed as the man stumbled back as the round hit him. But then he stopped, and straightened. He held his sword out before him, where a bullet could be seen lodged into the tsuba of his katana. "How many times do I have to tell you, guns don't work against me!"

He burst forward, and Kihei fired one last time. The bullet flew through the man's head as he faded. He had twisted to the side to avoid the bullet, and was now within sword range of Kihei. His right leg snapped out and slammed against the ground, bracing the swordsman.

His sword seemed to fly out of his sheath as it whipped through the air. Its keen edge snapped through Kihei's neck like it didn't exist, and the headless body slumped to the floor. The head hit the floor with a loud and heavy wet thump. "Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Ryukansen."

He turned towards the girl, whose face was deathly pale. "H-Hitokiri B-Battôsai!" she almost squeaked.

**AN- translation: a tsuba is the hand guard on a katana.**


	2. New Surroundings

**AN- As stated in the story summary, you have to review to get the next chapter. HAH!**

CHAPTER TWO

NEW SURROUNDINGS

"Hmm…yes, I am the man who has been labeled 'Hitokiri' but that isn't my name. You can call me Himura." The sound of collapsing limber was heard, and both Himura and the girl looked back towards the hallway where the light from the flames could clearly be seen. "Come, collect the little one, we need to get out of here."

The girl's eyes flashed with sudden anger. "He is not just a 'little one'! He is the last student of the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu, the style that I am the assistant master of! And this is our dojo, so I can't just abandon it."

"Your father is dead. His name was Koshijiro, yes? Without him, you will not be able to survive. If you wish to live, then come with me." He extended his hand towards the girl.

The girl glared at him for a few more seconds before she sighed. Taking his hand, she squeaked as she was pulled quickly to her feet. "What is your name?" Himura asked softly.

"Kamiya Kaoru. A name that I am proud of."

"And the boy?"

"Myojin Yahiko."

"Good, let's go." Himura turned towards the door, but paused. Turning back around, he strode over to Yahiko and picked him up before slinging him over his shoulder. With that done, he turned back to the door, and quickly strode out, only pausing to retrieve his rifle.

Kaoru ran after him, coughing heavily as she entered the growing smoke cloud. She stumbled blindly down the hall towards the door that led outside. She staggered out into the freezing rain and gasped as she was instantly soaked and almost blinded.

She was barely aware of the dark figure rapidly moving away from her. She desperately ran forward, not wanting to be left behind, with fire and blood behind her. She blew out of the main gate, but her sneakered foot caught on something heavy, and she tripped, sprawling into a mud puddle.

She blinked the water out of her eyes, and noticed she was in a sea of red. Her breath hitching in her throat, she looked back towards the gate, and saw the two dead men. The one that she had tripped over had been literally split from his left hip to his right shoulder. Finally the night's events caught up with her, and she snapped her head around just as her stomach released what had been dinner.

Once she was done retching, she stood shakily and took four steps forward before she dropped to her knees. "This isn't happening! This is just a nightmare, and I'll wake up in the morning to do my warm-ups with dad while mom makes the morning tea. This is just a nightmare!" she whispered, voice growing hysterical.

Then she noticed the hand extended in her direction. She looked up, and saw the most amazing eyes. Amber that had been tinged with a warm violet stared down at her intently. "This one is sorry that you had to go through this, Kaoru-dono," the man said through the mask that he still wore. "Here, take this wool blanket. It will help keep you warm until we get to this one's car." Kaoru accepted the blanket numbly. This man with such a kind voice was the one who slaughtered over twenty men with ease and no mercy?

She followed him to the car in a daze, but stopped once she actually saw the vehicle. It was a rather nondescript Toyota, one that you would expect a normal person to drive, not some assassin. Himura evidently noticed her confusion, for her turned and looked at her questioningly. "What?"

"Your car…I was just expecting something different, that's all."

Himura snorted. "Trust me; I have something _way_ better at home. I just use this piece of junk when I wish to remain unnoticeable. Come on, I want to get out of here." He walked around to the passenger side of the car, and opened the door for her. She paused uncertainly at this sudden show of kindness. Coming to her senses, she quickly got into the car. "There should be towels in the glove compartment," he said as he softly shut the door.

Kaoru watched him through the mirror as he walked around to the back of the car and open up the trunk. He stayed back there for a while, so Kaoru opened up the glove compartment and smiled softly at the small neat stack of hand towels. She pulled one out, and proceeded to dry herself as well as she could. She grimaced at the bloodstains that covered her clothes.

She was mostly dry when she heard a soft rustle behind her. She turned quickly, prepared to either scream or fight, but she relaxed when she saw Yahiko wrapped tightly in a wool blanket and dried off. His brown eyes looked at her in confusion. "Kaoru?" he asked, voice raspy.

"Don't worry," she smiled. "We'll be safe now, I promise." He wordlessly drifted back to sleep.

The car door opened, and Himura slid smoothly into the vehicle. Kaoru turned towards the man, and froze. Fire and gold. That was all Kaoru could think of. Himura's hair was a fiery red, and his eyes were still a burning gold. He paused to pull his hair out of his jacket, where it had been tucked to keep it out of the way.

It pooled around his shoulders and down his back, secured in a low ponytail. He rolled his head, cracking his neck. He grunted as the multiple pops rolled through the car's interior. Once done, he reached under the dashboard and fiddled with something. Drawing his hand back out, Kaoru felt her eyes widen as she noticed he held a gun. "What-?" she asked weakly.

"A Beretta 92F. Fifteen shot magazine, and fairly accurate. In a tight spot, this could save your life. It's saved mine." He tucked it back under the dashboard, and fished a key out of his pocket. He inserted it smoothly into the ignition, and turned the car on. He glanced over at Kaoru and laughed. "Just because I use a sword doesn't mean that I'm not trained in many other weapons."

He popped the car (it was an auto) into drive, and started forward smoothly, not burning rubber, or doing anything fancy. He simply drove, and efficiently at that. After a few minutes of waiting he turned the heat on, and Kaoru sighed contentedly as the warm air washed over her, bringing heat back into her body. Slowly she felt herself drop off into a fitful sleep.

She jerked awake again at the sound of brakes squeaking softly. She watched as Himura put the car into park and got out of the vehicle. His door shut softly, and Kaoru watched as he crossed in front of the car and approached her door. Expecting a "Stay in the car if you know what's good for you," type of thing, she was surprised when the assassin opened the car door and held out his hand expectantly. "Come, I need them to know of your existence."

"'Them?'" she asked uncomfortably.

"My employer and his people."

She shivered at the sound of those words, and felt an uncomfortable aura upon the air as she got out of the car and back into the rain, though the downpour was less severe than it was earlier that evening.

But they did not have to go far before they entered a building. It appeared from the outside to be an abandoned skyscraper but once she entered something felt different. It still appeared to be a ruined building, but it felt like someone was watching them. Suddenly she noticed a glint flying through the air towards Himura. Before she could even shout out a warning, he snapped his hand out without changing his expression.

"Nice, try Misao. But trying to kill the Boss's best soldier might not make him happy." He twirled a kunai in his hand easily.

"Who is the woman? Is she one of…_his_?" a voice called out. A very young sounding voice.

"No, I don't think she is. She is Kamiya Kaoru."

There was a long pause, and a young girl stepped out of the shadows. She was wearing normal street clothes, but something about her posture marked her as something more, much more. And she looked to be about sixteen years old, though a bit boyish in nature. "Is Aoshi in?" Himura asked.

"Ah, no. Aoshi-sama is out gathering intel for…the Boss. Why, did you complete your mission? 'Cause Tsukioka is in, if you wanted to talk to him."

"Thanks, Misao. And good job guarding. If it weren't for the glint of light, a normal person wouldn't have even noticed the kunai." Without another word Himura went on to go down a flight of stairs, Kaoru following him as the girl disappeared into the shadows again.

"Who was she?" Kaoru whispered.

"She is one of our more untrained operatives. Our main intelligence gatherer, Shinomori Aoshi, took her under his wing when we found her ten years ago."

Kaoru froze at his words. "Ten years?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah. I may not look it, but I am twenty-seven. Aoshi was only sixteen then, and somehow the little six-year-old girl we found raiding the dumpsters just to stay alive clung to that ice chunk that he has for a heart."

But Kaoru wasn't really listening to his explanation. _Twenty-seven? This hot hunk is twenty-seven years old? Dammit, and I'm only eighteen! He's nine years my senior! Ugh, he's way out of my league, now matter how gorgeous he is. _Kaoru forced herself to stop thinking in this train of thought. After all, she just watched that 'gorgeous hunk' slaughter twenty men!

Shivering slightly, she continued down the stairs after the red-head killer. He stepped through another pair of doors, holding them open for her. This hallway was actually well lit, and not to shabby, though there were still hints of damage in the ceiling and walls. As she turned to thank him for holding the doors open, she froze. He had a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. It was so large that she was surprised she hadn't noticed it before.

Their eyes locked, her blue caught and captured by his fierce gold. She shivered, feeling like he was scrutinizing her soul through her eyes. She tried to look away, but couldn't. After what seemed like forever, his eyes softened, and a tinge of purple showed faintly in his eyes. He smiled and looked away.

She suddenly noticed a particularly gloomy looking man walking down the hallway towards them. He had long hair, and a bandana tied around his forehead. Himura perked up, and reached into his pant's pocket. "Tsunan, I have something that you might find interesting." He pulled out a plastic sandwich baggy that had a small CD and a vial in it.

"Is that…?" the man, Tsunan, asked hesitantly.

Himura tossed him the bag smoothly. "Yes, that is what I was sent out to get this evening. I had to kill a lot of people to get that, and you know how my wife hates me killing people."

Tsunan nodded as he pocketed the baggy and continued past them. Once he was out of hearing range, Himura leaned in towards Kaoru, who was still dumbfounded by what she heard. _Him? Married? Well, yeah, he has great looks and seems to be very polite, but he is a killer. Could anyone love a killer?_

Himura continued forward, and she was broken out of her thoughts as she followed him. They walked in silence as he brought her deeper into the maze of the building. Suddenly he stopped in front of a door that seemed different from the countless others that they had already passed through.

The red-head smiled reassuringly to her, and opened up the door. She stepped in after him, and froze as she looked down the barrel of a whole assortment of firearms. She squeaked in surprise.

The man at the desk, and the only man besides Himura that didn't have a gun, raised his hand, and the MP5s and M16s that were pointed at her were lowered. Himura bowed respectfully. "Katsura Kogoro, I am honored."

"Himura, I trust the mission went well?" the man, Katsura, asked as he eyed Kaoru curiously.

"Hai."

"Then…who is she?"

"She is-"

"My name is Kamiya Kaoru," she blurted, interrupting Himura. "And I prefer to introduce myself."

Katsura chuckled softly before he looked serious again. "I take it that if you are here, then your father is no longer alive."

Kaoru looked down sadly. "My father is dead, and my home has been burnt down. I now have nowhere to go."

Katsura looked at Himura with an unasked question in his eyes. Himura sighed heavily. "Kaoru-dono can stay at my house until we find a more suitable location for her. The young man with her, Myojin Yahiko, can also stay with me."

Katsura nodded. "Himura, you are dismissed. We will contact you when we have another mission."

Himura bowed, and turned around. Kaoru followed him as he left without another word. They made their way back to the car, both lost in their own thoughts. _I'll be staying at his house? Will I even be safe?_ But she thought hard about her situation. _He has saved my life twice now. I can trust him. I hope._

It was not long before they were in the car, and Himura began driving away from the city. "Kaoru-dono, it will take about an hour for us to reach my house. You can try to get some sleep now if you want."

Kaoru nodded, and leaned back against the comfortable seat. She closed her eyes, and relaxed as best she could. Slowly her jumbled nerves calmed down, and she drifted off to sleep.


	3. A New Home

**An- Yes, yes, I know that I was supposed to wait until I had ten reviews before I submitted this, but I realized I was being slightly unfair to demand five reviews per chapter just to get this one. So I'll wait until I have ten reviews until I update chapter four. Expect a five review ratio for chapters from now on. I expect fifteen before chapter five goes up, for example. Until next time!**

**Read, enjoy, and please review.**

CHAPTER THREE

A NEW HOME

_Kaoru paused while in the middle of the kata she was showing Yahiko. Was that smoke she smelled? She heard the sound of pounding feet down the hall. Kaoru looked towards the shoji door that led to the main hall questioningly. "Yahiko, stay here!" she ordered as she started towards the door._

_But before she could reach the shoji the sound of gunfire pounded her ears. She froze in shock, unable to do anything with the alarm that coursed through her. Then she came to her senses and ran forward desperately._

_But before she could even get within ten feet of the shoji they burst open and a giant with a shotgun stepped through. Before she could do anything else, the giant sneered and aimed the shotgun at her. There was a deafening roar-!_

She screamed as a pair of rough hands grabbed her. "Kaoru-dono! It's just a nightmare! Wake up!"

Her eyes snapped open to see a brilliant pair of amber eyes staring down at her. Her breathing completely stopped, her lungs frozen with fear. She gathered the breath to scream again once she was able, but then she watched in amazement as blue seeped into the gold of the eyes. It was beautiful the way they seemed to collide and mix together.

And now that she had calmed down, Kaoru remembered where she was, and who the man above her was. "Kaoru-dono, we've arrived at my house. If you wait for me to get Yahiko-chan, then I can unlock the front door, and we can get out of this rain.

Kaoru nodded numbly and soon they were at Himura's front door. He shifted the still unconscious boy in his arms until he could get his hand into one of his pant's pockets. He fished out a key, and within seconds had the door open.

Kaoru stepped in after the man who held her life in his hands. _Where will I go after this? What will become of me? I can never go back to living the way I had been. My parents murdered, my home destroyed. I have nothing except the clothes on my back and the kindness of a complete stranger, an _assassin_ no less._

Himura flicked on the lights, and they lit up what had to have been Himura's living room. A couch sat in the middle of the room, facing the wall that was to Kaoru's right. Automatically slipping off her sneakers, Kaoru walked further into the room. She now saw that the couch was actually facing the plasma TV that hung on the wall.

She looked to her left to see a bookcase that was almost overflowing. Right next to the stuffed bookcase was a comfortable looking recliner that had a bright lamp right beside it. "Kaoru-dono, you can go use the bath if you want. It's the door to the left in that alcove there," he said pointing towards the area where Kaoru could see the dining room.

She nodded, and started to walk towards the alcove. _Wow, Himura actually has a rather small house. Standing here I can see everything, the kitchen, the dining room, the living room, the…is that the laundry room!_ Kaoru peered hard into the darkness of the kitchen where she could just barely make out the shapes of the washer and dryer.

"Uh, Kaoru-dono? Are you okay?"

When she heard the redhead say her name, Kaoru snapped her attention back to him. She blushed slightly. "What?" she asked innocently.

"You were making funny faces, and I was worried that…" he dwindled off before smacking himself lightly on the forehead. "Just ignore this one, Kaoru-dono. Today's exertions have tired this one out," he said before giving a weak chuckle.

_What's up with the weird speech? Cute though it may be, why doesn't he use 'I' and 'me'?_ Before Kaoru could ponder the subject any longer, a door next to the bookcase's chair burst open. Kaoru nearly screamed, and she was instantly pumped with adrenaline, giving her the energy to flee if possible, or to fight if running wasn't an option.

But instead of an enemy charging out, a little blur of red sped straight for Himura. The manslayer grunted as the blur slammed into his legs. "Oro?" he said in surprise, looking down.

A little boy with red hair and red pajamas was now firmly attached to his legs. "Daddy, you home!" the child squealed in happiness. Kaoru couldn't help but smile. The little ball of energy could only be Himura's son, and obviously was very attached to the man. Did the kid, who was no older than four, know of what his father did?

Kaoru's attention was captured by a tall and beautiful woman stepping out of the room from which the boy had burst from. Himura sighed. "Kenji, why aren't you asleep? It is almost three in the morning, that it is."

"I'm sorry, Ken-san," the woman interjected. "You know how much he wants to see his father come home safe."

_Is this Himura's wife?_ Kaoru wondered.

"Daddy!" the boy suddenly whined. He had pulled out his father's hand with both of his and was carefully inspecting them. "You kill them 'gain?" he asked, sorrow laced through his normally bright voice. "You have blood under your nails!"

"Yes Kenji, I killed again."

"But…but mama says that killing is bad. She made you promise!"

Himura sighed. "I know killing is bad. Trust me, the second I can stop killing, I will."

The woman suddenly noticed Kaoru. She turned towards her, and smirked. "Ken-san, just who is this…tanuki?"

Kaoru just twitched. "Now, now, Megumi-dono. That isn't nice, you don't even know her and-" Himura started.

"WHAT'D YOU CALL ME, KITSUNE!" Kaoru roared.

Kenji suddenly burst out laughing. Everyone looked at him as he pointed to Kaoru. "You dirty!" he laughed. Everyone froze.

Kaoru felt the squeezing in her throat, but she tried to fight it. She let out a shuddering breath, and this broke the damn. Tears sprung into her eyes as she spun and fled into the bathroom, slamming the door loudly before she slumped against it, sobbing quietly. _What is wrong with me? I'm never this emotional!_ Suddenly hearing voices, she tried to quiet down and listen.

"Megumi-dono, why did you call her a tanuki? She just had her parents get murdered and her home is probably burnt to the ground right now. And Kenji, what you said wasn't nice. When she comes out later, I want you to apologize."

"Tell her that I apologize as well. I didn't know her situation, or I would never have poked fun at her."

"Are you going home now?"

"Yes. You know how Sanosuke gets, baka husband that he is."

There was a light laugh from Himura. "Just be careful. I don't want you to get hurt, and then have Sanosuke come and kick my ass."

"Daddy, language!"

"This one is sorry, that he is, Kenji."

Kaoru pulled away from the door. So this Megumi wasn't Himura's wife. But, where was the wife? Kaoru quickly stripped as she thought, glad to finally have the bloodied and muddy clothes off of her.

To tired to take a bath, Kaoru turned on the shower. The warm water pelted against her skin, and she sighed with relief. Looking at the shampoo selection, she scowled. _Men!_

There was only one shampoo bottle, and one of conditioner. An unscented bar of soap rested on one of the little shelves. She quickly washed her hair, scrubbing harshly to remove all traces of that night. When she rinsed the suds out she looked down and shuddered. The tub bottom was tinged pink from all the blood that had been on her.

She soon conditioned her hair and soaped up a sponge. She methodically scrubbed every inch of her body. Once she was certain she was clean, she finally turned the shower off, and stepped out into the fogged up room. Spotting the linen closet next to the sink, she quickly got a towel, and within minutes was dried off.

"Himura?" she called out.

"Hai?"

"I don't have any clothes!"

There was a short pause. "Hang on, I'll get you a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Do you want a tee-shirt as well?"

"Yeah!" she called back. The other side of the door was silent for a minute before Himura lightly knocked. "Just a sec." Kaoru walked over to the door and opened it wide enough for her arm to slip through. She stuck out her hand, and smiled as she felt the clothes being placed on her hand. She brought her arm back in, and sighed with relief when she saw the white tee-shirt and grey sweats.

She dressed quickly and tied her hair up in a ponytail. It wasn't brushed, but she was more concerned about getting to sleep than keeping her hair tidy. Finally she left the bathroom. "I'm done," she said to Himura, who was setting up a futon on the floor. He looked up, smiling.

"Oh, Kaoru-dono, I was just preparing your bed. I'm sorry you can't actually get a room of your own, but Yahiko will be in Kenji's room until he gets better, and Kenji will be staying in my room with me."

Kaoru nodded, and then bowed respectfully. "I have not yet thanked you for your hospitality, Himura-san."

Himura laughed. "Please, call me Kenshin. It is more comfortable to use first names, neh?" He walked past her to the door opposite that of the bathroom. "You can turn out the lights anytime you want, Kaoru-dono." He slipped into the room and closed the door without a sound.

Kaoru sighed and pulled the sweatshirt off before she turned out the lights. She climbed into the futon, and sighed as she tried to sleep. Despite the fact that so much had happened to her, and that she was tired, she found that she couldn't fall asleep. She began to cry softly as she realized that she would never, ever see her parents again. She would never see her mother's kind face nor eat her good food. Her father would never show her another kata and he would never be proud of her for performing the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu katas correctly. Slowly Kaoru fell asleep, silent tears sliding gently from her eyes.

And woke up after what seemed like only a few minutes. She kept her eyes closed, wondering if it was the loud thunder outside that woke her. Normally she slept straight through storms.

Then she felt the small hands pat her on the cheek again. Her eyes snapped open to see the silhouette of Kenji kneeling next to her head. "Kenji?" she groaned, yawning. "What's the matter?"

"I scared of thunder, Kao!" the little boy cried.

It took a few seconds for Kaoru to understand exactly what the little guy was saying. "Wait, so why don't you just stay with your dad?"

The boy sniffled sadly. "I didn't 'cause…'cause you 'mind me of kaasan."

Kaoru's heart went out to the distraught boy at that moment. She sighed, a smile plastered on her face. She lifted up the comforter that she lay under, and Kenji climbed in next to her. He scooted up to her, his back against her front.

She pulled him closer and lay a protective arm against his stomach. He tucked his head under her chin, and she laughed as his hair tickled her throat. "Don't worry Kenji; I'll protect you from the thunder."

The redheaded kid mumbled something sleepily before his breathing deepened with sleep. Kaoru smiled softly as she drifted off to sleep as well. _Kenji, you aren't the only one who finds comfort through this. Thank you for this kindness and trust…_


	4. Adjustment

**AN- Sorry this chapter is so short. I'm not too sure about where I'm going with this story. So add your suggestions, and your ideahasa good chance at beingintegrated intothe story. Anyway, please review, the more reviews I'll get the sooner I'll get the next chapter out.**

CHAPTER FOUR

ADJUSTMENT

The second Kenshin awoke he knew that something was wrong. Kenji wasn't lying next to him like he was when they had gone to bed. And Kenji never woke up without waking him up right afterwards.

Immediately the manslayer grabbed the sheathed katana that he had placed next to the futon, just like he did every single night for nearly as long as he could remember. He silently hopped up onto his feet and expanded his senses. There were two ki that were very close to each other in the living room, and they could be either asleep or unconscious. He recognized his son's ki, and Kaoru's.

He frowned as he did not feel anyone else's ki, but he had met people who could mask their ki quite well. He slipped his way over to the door, making no more noise than the whisper of the fabric of his pajama pants brushing together.

He gently turned the doorknob, and counted silently to ten before he slowly pushed the door open. He carefully scanned the room, and saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Kenshin pushed against the tsuba with his thumb, loosening the sword from the sheath with a barely audible click. Too many times had he bested an enemy more easily just because they lowered their guard. Only a fool relaxed before they completely cleared the area.

He rolled from his bedroom door and stopped when he was next to one of the side tables that flanked the couch. He cautiously peered around the table to where he had set up Kaoru's futon. And stopped once he registered what he saw.

Kenji was snuggled up against Kaoru, and they both looked more at peace than Kenshin had ever seen them before. The manslayer straightened, looking at the two before him in awe. Kenji had never looked this happy ever since Tomoe…

Kenshin shook his head as he turned towards the kitchen. He would _not_ think about that! He jerkily began breakfast, forcefully handling the pans as he cooked. Not for the first time, he cursed the rationing that was necessary for survival. Kenji was far too thin for his age, and that alone made Kenshin bitter towards Shishio. That bastard was threatening the life of his son.

The hitokiri measured out the small portion of rice that would have to pass for four people. He would have to request that Katsura give him more food. Thank Kami that the Chosu clan was in control of dozens of farms. And it was probably one of the few organizations in Japan that spanned across several cities. So hopefully he would get some food very soon. The small garden he had growing in the back could sustain them for a few weeks, but beyond that…

Kenshin suddenly felt someone's ki creeping up behind him. Within a millisecond he had his sword drawn, its tip gently touching Kaoru's throat. Once he saw who it was, he quickly sheathed the deadly blade. "Kaoru-dono, I ask that you don't _ever_ try and approach me quietly. All of my reflexes are trained to strike first and ask questions later." He drew in and let out a deep, calming breath. "Breakfast will be soon ready, you should check on Yahiko-chan and see if he is awake yet."

An hour later Kenshin was practicing his katas while Yahiko regarded him with solemn eyes. The boy had only a few bumps and scratches, the one on his head the worst. But he had come out alright.

Kaoru came out onto the back porch, Kenji following closely after her. The boy had taken an immediate liking to her, and already Kenshin was wondering if he could use that to his advantage in finding Kaoru and Yahiko a place to live. The two seemed to be adjusting to their new surroundings fairly well.

He finished the final kata, and sheathed his sword. He rolled his head around, his neck snapping and popping as the kinks came undone. He walked over and sat down on the porch, sighing contentedly.

"Um…Kenshin?" Kaoru asked timidly.

"You don't have to be afraid of this one, Kaoru-dono. What do you want?" he asked gently.

"Where is your wife?"

Kenshin blinked as all the horrible memories flashed through his mind. He sighed. "Tomoe is dead, and has been for two years now."

"How'd she…" Kaoru started, and then stopped. "If I'm being to bold, please just say so."

Kenshin stood up, almost angrily. "I'll tell you one day, Kaoru-dono, but the memory is still too fresh in my mind. Gomen nasai," he murmured before he went inside to do the laundry.


	5. Complications

**AN- As I have said before, reviews will motivate me, and you will be getting chapters sooner. Except for the next few weeks, because I'm going to be really busy. Anyway, suggestions are welcome, and I hope that you will enjoy this next chapter.**

CHAPTER FIVE

COMPLICATIONS

Kenshin sat on the futon in his room, staring blankly at his and Tomoe's wedding picture. He gently cradled the picture in his hands, trying not to cry with the memories of the day that Tomoe had died.

_Flashback:_

"_Tomoe! Stay strong!" he cried out as he clutched her hand, which was burning with fever. Megumi laid a hand on his shoulder and he flinched. He knew that there was nothing else she could do for his wife. The Darwin Virus was killing her, and it had been for two months now._

_He looked up at the young man who knelt on the other side of Tomoe's bed. His brother-in-law, Yukishiro Enishi. He, too, had been struck with the same disease that would be the death of his sister, but he had lived. Ever since he finally overcame the disease, Enishi's hair had become a silvery white color, and he was…mentally unstable._

"_Himura!" the young man ground out. "This is your fault! You could've protected her somehow, made her better!" His frighteningly empty eyes narrowed. "I will make you pay!"_

"_Enishi!" Everything in the room became still as Tomoe spoke as harshly as her weak voice could permit. "And you too, my husband," she croaked as tears gathered at the corners of her beautiful eyes. "Kenshin is not at fault. I'm so sorry that I will pass soon, but you must make amends._

"_Enishi. You hate Kenshin, for you believe he stole me away from your protection. Don't believe this. I chose to stay with him, and I still love him and our son. Please, settle your differences. I know that Kenshin has done horrible things in the past, but what's done is done, and he is trying so very hard to atone for those sins."_

_A wave of pain passed over her face, and her entire body jerked as she grimaced with pain. When she spoke again, her voice was noticeably weaker. "Kenshin. I love you with all my heart, and I don't want you to fall into despair. Don't let your anger and sadness consume you, for you still have our son to take care of. Be safe, my love."_

_She gasped, and her eyes became dim. "If you both wish to see me smile, then both the red dragon and the white tiger have to unify and be good men. Oh Kami-sama!" she cried in pain. "Just remember I love you both!" she hissed with her last breath, and her tensed body fell limp as the heart monitor began to emit a steady and continuous beep, the noise going on and on until Megumi turned the machine off._

_The doctor left the room, giving the two men some privacy so that they might say their final goodbyes to a truly wonderful woman. She would miss Tomoe, the two had been very close friends. Megumi blinked as a tear slid from her eye. She cleared her throat and strengthened her resolve as she continued down the hall towards the room where her fiancée was. The stupid tori-atama had broken his hand again…_

_Kenshin held the cold hand of Tomoe in his warm ones. After the last remains of warmth passed from the hand he held in his grasp he looked up to Enishi. They both stood at the same time, reading each other through their eyes. Enishi stuck out his hand. "I will follow my sister's last wishes. Forgiven?"_

_Kenshin stared at the offered hand for a few seconds before he grasped it firmly. "Enishi. I plan to strike at the man responsible for Tomoe's death as a hitokiri. I will operate as a shadow, and strike where Shishio is weak. Do I have the support of the Chinese mafia?"_

_Enishi nodded. "We will create problems in China while you strike at him from here." He turned towards the door, slipping on his sunglasses. He paused, and looked back, a roguish grin slapped on his face. "Oh, and give my nephew my love. Tell him that once this is over, I'll have some fine gifts for him." The silver haired man continued out the door, and turned down the hall, the sound of his footsteps fading as he walked away from his sister's deathbed._

_End Flashback_

Kenshin hadn't seen Enishi since that day nearly two years ago. But he had heard word of massive acts of sabotage to the Japanese forces in China. He sighed as he stood and put the photo back in its spot in his closet. _I wonder what Kaoru-dono is thinking right now. I was a little too harsh with her. Maybe I should apologize._

He walked over to the door, and rested his hand on the doorknob. As much as he wanted to go out, he was surprised to find himself apprehensive. _What do I have to fear from this young woman? What about her makes me nervous?_

Maybe it was her innocence, which shone clearly through her sapphire eyes. And she was beautiful, something he noticed after she had gotten a good night's rest and was clean. She was also strong! She had to be, for she was the assistant instructor of her sword style, which wasn't a small feat, that was for sure. In a fair fight, she would probably be quite the challenge.

He shook his head, and opened the door. He immediately spotted Kaoru, for she was looking at some of the few photos he had up on the wall. "Kaoru-dono?" he asked softly, and she whirled about to face him, blushing slightly. Why that made his heart speed up, Kenshin had no idea.

"Is this you?" she asked, pointing to a picture of a young United States Marine in a Class A dress uniform.

Kenshin gave a soft chuckle before he nodded. "Yes, I joined when I was eighteen, and became a Recon Sniper of the 3rd Marine Division. I reached the rank of Sergeant quickly and fought on many different fronts. And I have the NCO Saber to prove it, as well as the uniforms. However, once I met Tomoe, I decided that a military life wasn't right for me. So I resigned, and settled down in Tokyo."

Kaoru looked confused, which Kenshin thought looked cute, especially the way her nose scrunched up a little and how her lips pouted slightly. "Wait…aren't you Japanese?"

"By birth, yes. But my parents moved to America, where they died from Cholera. A family friend, Hiko Seijuro, took me in and taught me Hiten-Mitsurugi ryu." He was just about to go on, when the door burst open. Megumi and her husband, the infamous Sagara Sanosuke ran into Kenshin's house. "Kenshin, we've got problems!" Sano, also known as 'Zanza' and 'tori-atama' shouted frantically…


	6. The Alamo

CHAPTER SIX

THE ALAMO, PT. ONE

Kenshin stared at his best friend for a pregnant pause before he spoke. "Sano, what have I repeatedly told you about bursting into my house without warning? Next time I could accidentally-"

"HQs been hit!"

Kenshin froze, his whole body rigid as a pole. "Did…did Katsura make it out in time?"

Sano shook his head dejectedly. "I couldn't tell you, but that's not the worst of it. Over my scanner I picked up a conversation saying that they were also going to hit Battôsai's house. It's either fight or flee, and I don't want to run the chance of losing my wife in a small skirmish."

"How much time do you say we have?" Kenshin asked quietly.

"Fifteen minutes."

Kenshin swore. "That's not enough time. We'll have to fight. Once we get the chance, we'll go to the safe house. Who else can I be expecting?"

Sano paused for a moment as he thought. "Misao is taking the wife of the wolf-"

Kenshin jerked a little in surprise. "Tokio?"

"Yeah, Saito is officially ready to kick some ass and take some names. She's also taking Tsubame, that little orphan we found on the streets, to the safe house. Saito and Aoshi getting here as quickly as they can, both fully armed."

Kenshin nodded. "You want the usual?" he asked as he walked over to what appeared to be a blank wall.

"Oh, hell yeah!" the tall man exclaimed as he brought his fists together with a resounding crack. Kaoru looked on in mild curiosity as Kenshin pressed on the wall. She jumped in surprise as the wall slid back.

"What the-!" she yelped as she saw the dozens of guns hung on the secret compartment.

Sano turned his gaze upon her, and a wide and lopsided grin grew on his face. "Well, if it isn't the jou-chan that kitsune was talking about!" He was about to go on, but Megumi smacked him in the head.

"Baka tori-atama! How many times have I told you not to call me kitsune?"

Sano stopped for a moment, and you could almost see the wheels in his head turning. "I think that this would be…the three hundred eighty-ninth time you've told me."

"Sano!" Kenshin shouted as he tossed a shotgun through the air. The tall man caught it, and deftly slung it across his back. The next weapon he got was a machine gun, what Kaoru recognized as a Model 62 GPMG, the 7.62mm machine gun used by the old Japanese military. The last weapon he received was a Colt M79, the old 'Blooper' grenade launcher used by American forces during the Vietnam War.

"I get the front door, Kenshin?" Sano asked as he readied his weapons.

"Hai. Megumi-dono, if you could handle any medical emergencies that might arise, this one would be eternally grateful."

Kenshin's POV:

This was it. He felt it in his bones, the battle calm that slipped over him every time he had to kill. Those bastards wanted to threaten his _son_? He wouldn't let a single one of his enemies escape his sight alive. He picked up two rifles, one of which was an upgraded model of the M40A1 sniper rifle he used while in the marines: the M40A1 PIP. The PIP stood for 'product improved' and the rifle he held had several upgrades, such as the barrel being threaded to accept a suppressor. And he would be using a suppressor, so that he might keep his location a secret.

The other rifle he held was the LAR Grizzly 50 (AN: anyone who has seen Tremors II knows what this rifle is, it's that really big rifle that Burt has), a fifty caliber Antimaterial rifle. Its one disadvantage was that it was one shot, so he would have to reload after every single shot. Then again, he didn't plan to shoot too many times with this rifle.

"Sano, I want you to take point defense. _Nothing_ gets past you, understand?" Once the tall man nodded, Kenshin returned his focus to the weapons wall. He was looking for a specific pistol for Kaoru to use…ah! There it was. He pulled the modified Beretta 92F off of the wall. "Kaoru-dono," he said gravely as he turned towards the teenager. "You are the last line of defense. If you see anyone who you do not know, shoot them. Aim for the head if you can."

Kaoru took the pistol, flinching when her hand came in contact with the pistol grip. "I understand."

"Good," Kenshin replied before he turned towards Yahiko and Kenji. "You two are to stay with Kaoru-dono at _all_ times! She will protect you, so stick to her like glue." Once the two nodded, he stood up fully. "I'll be in a ruined house a few down the street from here; I can easily get to the third story and be able to shoot anything that approaches."

Five minutes later:

Kenshin, now dressed in urban camouflage BDUs, waited on the roof of the house he had specified. He had the Grizzly stock pulled up tight against his shoulder, and he was scanning the caravan of about twenty cars heading towards his house. Each car could easily hold five men, so he had to deal with one hundred intruders, at least.

He took a deep breath as he zeroed in on the first car. As he let it half out, his finger caressed the trigger until it broke, sending the firing pin into the back of the heavy shell. The rifle fired, emitting a fireball as the round tore down towards its unsuspecting target…

In the lead car:

"Look, I was just saying that I want my way with any women we find," one of the men in the back complained.

The driver sighed with frustration. "The boss said we have to kill them all immediately. If you want to fuck some dead chick, go ahead, but-" his sentence was suddenly cut off as something tore through the windshield of the car and through his chest before it exited out of the car through the door behind him. He instantly died, though his friends weren't as lucky.

The inside of the car was doused with the blood and gore of the unlucky driver. "Grab the wheel!" one of the men screamed, but the man riding shotgun didn't move as he stared blankly at his blood soaked skin and clothes. And nothing could be seen through the windshield because of the cracks that ran through it, as well as the blood covering it. The car shuddered as it left the road and hit grass.

Kenshin's POV:

He watched with grim satisfaction as the lead car veered off the road only to wrap itself around a sturdy tree. He had already reloaded the Grizzly, and was aiming again. _Battle has begun boys, so come and get it!_


	7. Ultimate Sacrifice

**AN- Jeez! Sorry it took so long to update this story. I'm not really sure where I'm going with this, but if anyone wants to make a suggestion...**

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

**Read and Review, please!**

CHAPTER SEVEN

ULTIMATE SACRIFICE

Kaoru sat with Yahiko and Kenji; her back leaned against a wall, still clutching the surprisingly heavy pistol. She was listening to the battle happening outside, particularly to the weapons of Kenshin and Sano. The sharp cracks of the sniper rifle came quicker then she expected for a bolt-action rifle, but maybe Kenshin was just really fast. And there was the almost continuous heavy chatter of Sano's machine gun.

But the enemies were firing as well; the light pops and snaps of their submachine guns were rolling out from their positions. And though her heart pounded with fear that she would get killed in the battle, she was amazingly bored. With nothing to do but watch the two children and continue listening to the fight, Kaoru could not help but be tired of waiting for something, _anything_ to happen. Little did she know that she was going to get her wish.

In the woods behind the house:

The group of ten men eyed the building that was being fought over in a desperate battle. Well, they were about to end the stalemate. They were to breach the house from the rear and kill all those within. And they weren't like the fools out front who were being used as a diversion, they were some of Shishio-sama's best soldiers. They wouldn't fail. And then everyone could focus their attention upon killing Battôsai.

The leader of the squad pointed to one of the men, and the soldier nodded. The soldier, who was the explosives expert, wasted no time in planting the block of C4 against the side of the house. Setting the det-cord properly, he moved back to the rest of the squad, who were taking cover behind very sturdy trees.

Truth be told, he was using twice the amount of explosives that he really needed, but who really cared? He was given a job, and he wasn't going to screw it up. He looked around the rest of the squad, and then said the mantra "fire in the hole" four times, before he squeezed the detonator's trigger.

Kenshin's POV:

He fired again, dropping yet another thug who was stupid enough to stick his head where he could see it…and shoot it. _This is too easy…Shishio knows what I can do, how good I am. He's not making a large enough challenge._ There was a flare of light as a car exploded, most likely because one of Sano's tracer rounds hit the gas tank.

He scanned again for a target, but was interrupted as a large explosion erupted from behind his house. The rising flames and smoke caught his horrified attention, and at first he could only stare in shock.

But then time returned to its normal pace, and he leaped up, ready to return to his abode, ready to KILL! But he noticed a flurry of movement from the corner of his eyes, and his warrior's sense spiked drastically, telling him that there was an immediate threat to his life. He looked back down to the shot up cars of the thugs, and froze. One of the bastards had an RPG. Aimed. Right. At. _Him_!

Kaoru's POV:

She was just telling the boys that everything was going to be alright when an explosion that seemed to consume the world in noise and fire blasted into the house. The door to the bedroom she was hiding in was blown clean of its hinges, and the shockwave from the explosion tore through the house, collapsing walls and filling the air with dust and debris.

After a few seconds, before even the ringing in her ears had stopped, Kaoru watched dizzily as several dark shapes burst into the house through the breach in the wall. There was a battle cry from Sanosuke's position, and the deep roars of his shotgun sounded. Kaoru watched, still unable to comprehend what was happening, as several of the invading men fell, never to stand again.

But the rest quickly returned fire, their M16s chattering as though laughing horribly, and even though Sanosuke returned fire, from the sounds of it, he was running for cover. Which left her in a dangerous-

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" a low and feral voice questioned.

Kaoru looked up in horror to see four men standing in the ruined doorway. Instantly, her hand with the gun rose, and she fired. Despite the fact that she was completely unskilled in marksmanship, she knew her body was perfectly conditioned through many long years of kendo. There was a loud crack, and the pistol jerked in her hand.

The leader only had the time to look slightly surprised before the bullet connected with his head. His head snapped backwards, and he fell without a noise. His comrades only looked at him in horror, and after an eternal moment one of them finally moved, bringing his M16 up. "You…BITCH!" he screamed as he fired.

Kaoru hadn't had time to move before the bullet tore through her shoulder. The pain that spread from the wound in horrible waves was so intense that she couldn't even _scream_.

"Kaoru!" Yahiko shouted as he leapt up and grabbed a plank of wood from the floor.

Outside, general POV:

The man who had fired the RPG smirked in victory. Battôsai's previous position was now blasted away. Nothing could have survived. And from the sounds of things, the men on the inside of the house were winning.

He heard the scuff of boots against the road, but didn't turn around, thinking it was one of his fellow thugs. The fool wouldn't learn that he was wrong…except in hell. "Isshiki Gatotsu!" he heard a deep and feral voice shout out, but he didn't have time to turn as a katana pierced the back of his skull, killing him at once. The man's comrades turned, bringing their Uzis up to their shoulders.

But they never got the chance to fire their weapons, for a young and tall man with eyes like chips of ice came forth, holding two very large pistols. He spun into action, his pistols firing rapidly, taking out what few men were left. The two men looked at each other and nodded, running towards the house.

Inside:

Yahiko did not make it far. One of the men simply backhanded the boy, sending him crashing into the wall. Kaoru shouted out both for him and for her own pain as she grasped the bleeding wound. Suddenly aware of the dark form standing at her feet, she reached for the pistol that she had dropped, only to have her hand stomped on by a heavy combat boot.

Instead of screaming out, she snapped an order to Kenji, telling him to stay back. Through the fog of pain, she realized that one of the men was crawling over her, and she realized what he wanted to do.

"NO!" she screamed as she tried to get up, to fight, to do anything! But in response to her struggles, the man above her stabbed her in the shoulder with a long and narrow dagger, pinning her to the floor. She lost herself to the pain, unable to bear it any longer…

Kenji's POV:

He stared in shock, unable to comprehend what was happening. Why were these men in his house, trying to hurt the girl who was like kaasan? He felt rage well up inside of him, and he stood, and took one step forward. They ignored him. Why? Was it because he was so small? Well, he would teach them!

But then he froze, sensing a presence rush past him, and the man atop Kaoru-san was literally thrown off of her and through the wall. The attacker stopped his charge, and slid to a halt, revealing Kenji's father. Kenji leapt up, excited, knowing that since his dad was there, all would be well.

_Wait, why is tousan bleeding? He…can't bleed. He's invincible!_ But upon closer inspection, it was obvious the Kenshin was _not_ fine. His left arm hung limp, and his clothes were bloody. But he was still standing. With one fluid move, he drew his sword, and looked back to Kenji.

He cringed upon seeing his father's face, which was a mask of pure rage, something Kenji had never seen before. He knew his father was good, yes, but he had never seen the usually humble and often humorous man in this state.

Kenshin's POV:

How he had managed to avoid being killed by the RPG was beyond him, but he landed hard on the ground and rolled. Standing, he was surprised to find his M40 still in his hands. He slung the weapon across his back, and rushed towards his house, fearing the worst. The pistol he had given Kaoru…

Not even going for any of the doors, he leapt through the window into his room, instantly taking in what was taking place. Four men dressed in black assault uniforms, one on the floor, two standing, and the last…

The next thing Kenshin fully remembered was standing over all four of them, his blade bloody, and they dismembered. And still his blood boiled with rage. Immediately turning his attention to Kaoru, he dropped his sword. "MEGUMI!"

He dropped down next to the wounded girl, and assessed her condition. The worst trauma was in the shoulder, which appeared to be both shot and stabbed. He gently grasped her shoulder, prepared to withdraw the blade. But she awoke, and started screaming. "Kaoru!" he shouted over her voice, shaking her good shoulder. "Kaoru, he's gone, he can't hurt you!"

She abruptly stopped, and stared at him with wide and scared eyes. "You mean…?"

"He can't rape you, like he would have. He can't do _anything_ to you." He grasped the hilt of the knife. "I'm sorry, Kaoru-dono." Without any other warning, he wrenched the blade out in one swift move. To his surprise, she didn't react, besides tears slipping silently from her eyes. "I'm sorry that hurt, but it had to be-"

Kaoru murmured something softly as he placed his hands over the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. "What?"

"I betrayed Kamiya Kasshin-ryu."

He smiled gently, not only from what she said, but from the sounds of things, the battle had ended. "No you didn't."

"Kenshin, I _killed_ somebody! I took away a man's life!"

"No, you didn't." He picked up the pistol he had given her. "It only fires rubber rounds. You stunned him. I killed him, you didn't."

Megumi finally ran into the room, followed by her husband, and two men that Kenshin immediately recognized. Opting to ignore them for now, he instead motioned for Kenji to join him. Megumi immediately tended to Kaoru, and once Kenji was next to him, Kenshin sighed. "So, what's the situation? Aoshi? Saitō?"

The tall one with icy blue eyes answered first. "There is a large contingent of enemy soldiers behind us, and they will arrive very shortly."

The other one, a tall man who looked liked a wolf, made a small 'humph' sound. "Seems like they're really eager to finish you off, Battôsai. If it weren't for the fact that the Shinsengumi and Chosu have joined forces, I'd probably join them."

Kenshin just ignored the wolf. "Aoshi, do we have enough time to flee?"

The icy one, Aoshi, answered with no expression on his face. "If one of us willing to make the ultimate sacrifice and form the rear-guard, then we do."

There was dead silence, save for the small sounds of pain that Kaoru was making as Megumi treated her wound. Kenshin looked down at the teenaged girl in confusion. Already he was so protective of her. Why? He shook his head. It didn't matter, either way. "I'll do it," he said, standing with his katana. "I will do it. I will make the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that you get away freely. And I do this for my loved ones." And he would be _sure_ to make it back safely. He wouldn't let himself die here. He couldn't.


	8. Grand Stage

CHAPTER EIGHT

GRAND STAGE

When Kaoru had arrived at the 'safe house' four days ago, she hadn't expected to see what was becoming an entire military base. Nor did she have very long to ponder this, for she was brought to the MASH and was sedated for a painless operation to fix her shoulder.

Now four days had passed, her arm was in a sling, and Kenshin hadn't yet made an appearance. He was still out _there_. She sighed, and sat on the porch of the barracks she had to share with forty other women. She still wasn't sure what was going on, besides the fact that, because Katsura-san had disappeared after the attack on their main HQ, Takasugi Shinsaku took control of the Chosu Resistance Forces. Takasugi-san was Katsura-san's second-in-command, and the man planned to hand the organization back to Katsura-san as soon as the man returned.

Kaoru groaned softly as she leaned back against one of the support beams and closed her eyes. It was not her place to worry of such things. She just had to wait for Kenshin-san to return. As she sat there, she heard the footsteps of two people approaching, as well as the voice of Yahiko-_chan_, big-mouth that he was. No doubt he was walking with the orphan girl that he seemed to have taken a liking to.

"Kaoru-san, have you taken your medication yet?" came the soft voice of the doctor, Megumi-san. Kaoru nodded wordlessly. She knew just how privileged she was, for medication was growing scarce and extremely expensive. Yet, she had seen one of the Blackhawk helicopters owned by the Rebellion come in with supplies marked with the Chinese Mafia symbol…

"Megumi-san, why are so many of the women pregnant?" Kaoru asked suddenly, for she had noticed that at least half of the women at the base were showing signs of pregnancy. "And will we be able to take care of them and their newborn, once they deliver?"

"The CRF has many allies and connections, even within Shishio's government. We are able to bring in enough food for twice our number, following the previous rationing. And remember how we were told to have as many children as possible?"

Kaoru opened her eyes at that, blushing. She hadn't thought of it in that way…did that mean that even now people were?

Megumi-san suddenly laughed, and Kaoru could swear that a pair of kitsune ears popped up on the top of her head. "Maybe you and Ken-san should contribute to the baby-boom…" she said slyly, and Kaoru's blush deepened.

"I'll have you know that I'm still pure!" she blurted hotly, trying to force her blush away.

Again Megumi-san laughed that evil laugh, and looked at Kaoru with an all-knowing look. "And would you lie, and say that you hadn't thought about losing it to him?"

Kaoru's jaw dropped open, and she could only stare at the doctor in shock. Before she could splutter an answer, Megumi-san was gone, disappearing through a crowd of soldiers that was walking by. _Well, how could I not think about it, with Kenshin looking as hot as he does? Wouldn't any girl?_ She shook herself, resolving herself. _He is still nine years older then I am. But…Misao is only sixteen, yet she is engaged to Aoshi-san, and they are ten years apart. _And she was again thrown into doubt. _Well, they love each other. I do not love Kenshin-san._ But there was a little whisper in the back of her head, _at least not yet…_

The sudden sound of a motorcycle roared over the noises of the crowd. Kaoru looked towards the noise, for she did not know of anyone owning a motorcycle on the base…and she saw a flash of bright red. Bright red hair and bright red blood. Kenshin was riding up the road on a GSX 1300R Hayabusa 2003, and he was almost entirely soaked in blood. And not all of it belonged to his enemies.

Kaoru ran down the road, and Kenshin stopped so he wouldn't hit her. "Kaoru-dono, how nice it is to see you again, that it is," he said weakly as he turned the bike off. "I told…you that…I…had a…nicer…vehic-" he said before fainting, sliding off of the seat and onto the ground.

"MEGUMI!" Kaoru yelled at the top of her lungs as she dropped down next to Kenshin. She _had_ to-

An alarm sounded, making Kaoru jump as it blared loudly, and she paused, trying to figure out what was going on. All she knew was that Kenshin lay unconscious on the ground, and that alarm was making everyone run for cover. Suddenly it hit her like an avalanche. That alarm sounded like any alarm in a war movie depicting an air-raid.

"Kuso!" she cursed as she picked Kenshin up, ignoring the pain that the movement caused in her arm. No one else seemed to want to help them, and she needed to get their collective rears moving, or else she wouldn't _get_ a chance to help further the baby-boom.

Before she had even taken five steps, there was a roar as the base's mobile SAM launchers fired, all eighteen missiles streaking into the air. She was twenty meters from a bunker. _This isn't happening, I'm not here, this is a dream. There is no _way_ that I am in the middle of a battle!_ The sky above her was suddenly filled with explosions and crazy contrails from both jet and missile. Roaring boom after roaring boom thundered from the heavens, shaking the ground with their intensity. Now she was ten meters away.

A fearsome howl filled the air, and Kaoru looked back in shock to see solid beams of light cutting through the sky. They were coming from vehicles that Kaoru would later learn were called M163 Vulcan's, named after the six-barrel 20mm rotary cannon that each carried. She would also learn later that they never fired unless the missiles and enemy craft were within one-and-a-half kilometers from the base.

Just as she was about to jump into the bunker entrance, the loudest blast she had ever heard roared above her head, seemingly no more then five meters away, though it _must_ have been at least fifty. There air around her was suddenly whistling as hundreds of steel fragments rained down upon the earth. She staggered, and fell into the entrance as one of the pieces of shrapnel tore down the back of her leg, feeling as though someone drew a red-hot blade down her calf.

Saitō's POV:

"Okita, HURRY YOUR ASS UP!" he roared even as he took a long drag on the cigarette between his lips. He wanted to get into the air ASAP, and his dim-witted co-pilot was screwing that up.

Taking one final drag, he flicked the still smoking butt away from him as he climbed into the front seat of the AH-64 Apache Gunship Helicopter. He loved this helicopter, and had flown with it since before Shishio had come to power. It had no name, but had saved his life many times. It was a simple black in color, but had a wolf-head emblazoned on the side, with the Japanese kanji for 'Aku, Soku, Zan' underneath it.

There was a clambering behind him as his co-pilot, and gunner, Okita Sôji got into the craft. "Pre-flight checks," Saitō drawled, as though there wasn't an all out air battle occurring just above their heads.

"Hai, Saitō-san." Soon the whining of the turbine engines was heard as the rotors above them began to turn.

"This is Shinsengumi 3rd Gunship, Colonel Saitō speaking. Base, do we have clearance to take off?"

His radio crackled. "Wait until the 2nd Gunship can take off."

Saitō rolled his eyes. "Tell them to hurry up! I'd rather _not_ be hit by a stray missile." Before he could say anything else, there was an explosion next to his helicopter as Gunship 2 was struck dead on by a missile. Saitō looked back to Okita, who was staring at him with wide eyes. "This is Gunship three. Base, fuck you, I'm taking off."

Sanosuke's POV:

He jumped up onto the base's only 40mm BOFORS Anti-Aircraft Artillery cannon, which he had lovingly named 'Zanbatô' after one of the largest katanas ever made…which he had actually _owned_ until he decided to be stupid and take Kenshin on in a one-on-one fight.

He shook his head. Remembering past mistakes wouldn't help him all in the present. He leaned back in the gunner's seat and cracked his back. Once so relieved, he leaned forward, and peered through the weapon's telescopic sights, trying to see through the smoke that had been kicked up by the SAMs. Once he did, he groaned and rolled his eyes. Light Assault Vehicles and Armored Personnel Carriers. Seriously, was that all that Shishio was throwing up against them?

He scanned the targets until he found a vehicle with extra antennas. A command vehicle. Without a second thought, Sano pushed down on the firing pedal, and Zanbatô fired with a roar. Despite being able to fire two times in a second, Sano knew he only needed one shot for such a weak vehicle. There was a black puff of smoke that showed where the vehicle he had fired at _used_ to be.

_You almost have to feel sorry for the bastards_, Sano thought. _Almost_. He fired again at another vehicle, this one randomly chosen. Before he had time to even see if he had scored a hit, he was on to the next target. Sano knew that unless he missed, every time he fired, another vehicle would be at least disabled.

The HEAP shells he was firing were impact-detonated, with a fuse lasting for almost a hundredth of a second, giving the shell a chance to be inside the vehicle when it exploded. And an explosion caused by an high-explosive 40mm shell in such an enclosed space would be more then enough to at least kill all the crew, if not catch the fuel and ammunition on fire.

Sano rounded on to another target, just as the rest of the base defenses were kicking to life. A target he was just about to shoot disappeared in a ball of fire as it got hit by on of the Dragon missile launchers used by the heavy weapons platoon. He grinned savagely. Now it was REALLY time to party…

Aoshi's POV:

He entered the command room, lightly grasping a thermos of green tea that Misao had prepared for him. One of the many reasons he loved the lively little sprite, despite him being ten years her senior. She knew exactly what he wanted depending on his mood; though it was hard to catch them, he had many different moods. Misao knew this, and knew what to look for. Plus, she was a _killer_ in the bedroom…

Clearing his mind of all not needed data, he walked up to a group of eleven men who were different then all the others in the room. They were tall, and had light skin, except for three of them. They all wore green berets, and were lent to the CRF with the good will of the UCNA.

He bowed to them, as shallow a bow as he could respectfully manage, for he did not trust these Americans. "Kon'nichiwa. My name is Aoshi, and I am the Intelligence and Communications Officer of this base. How may I help you?"

There was an explosion over the sturdy building, and the Americans flinched. Aoshi did not move a muscle. The leader of the men, a Captain, walked up to him and stuck out his hand. Aoshi stood from his bow, and hesitantly shook the man's hand. "_Howdy. My name is Jacob Daniels, and I'm a Captain of the Army of the United States, Special Operations Forces. Do you speak English?_" the man said all in English, smirking.

"_Yes, I am fluent in English. Tan bien como en español, ainsi que en français, und auch auf deutsch,_ _quod pariter ut in Latinus._" Aoshi then smirked, enjoying the man's look of shock. "Need I continue?" he asked, switching back to Japanese.

Daniels looked down, a look of shame across his face. "I apologize, sir."

Aoshi nodded, and strode towards the map table. "I greatly appreciate the American Green Berets help, Captain. I will look forward to working with your people." Another explosion shook dust from the ceiling. "However, we now have a battle to win. I trust you looked over our current strength rosters?" Daniels nodded. "Good, lets get this done."

**AN- Howdy, peoples! I'm definately glad to see a sudden increase of reviewers, I got this done ASAP. Plus, I'm not even supposed to be on right now, so shhhhh, or I'll get caught.**

**These are basically the statistics of the characters thus far mentioned:**

**Kamiya Kaoru: Assistant Master of the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu sword style. Now an orphan, and homeless. Uses either shinai, or bokken.**

**Himura 'Battosai' Kenshin: Assassin for the Chosu Rebellion Forces. Military rank: Captain. Might hold an interest in Kamiya Kaoru, but that remains to be seen. He can use most of the weapon systems known to man, but prefers the sniper rifle (M40, if possible) or a katana for close work. Is almost a master in Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu.**

**Sagara 'Zanza' Sanosuke: Heavy Weapons Specialist, 1st Class. Is also second-in-command of the Sekihotai Army, the Chosu recruitment unit.**

**Sagara (Takani) 'Kitsune' Megumi: Wife of Sagara Sanosuke. Is currently the head of all medical operations within the CRF Main Base. Yes, she outranks her husband. And no, he never hears the end of it.**

**Saitō 'The Wolf' Hajime: Colonel of the (only) CRF Airforce, Helicopter Pilot. Also uses a katana, and an American M14.**

**Shinomori 'Ice-man' Aoshi: Head of Intelligence of the CRF. Has an IQ of 230, and is fluent in Japanese, English, Spanish, French, German, Latin, Chinese, and Korean. Uses twin kodachi, or any grouping of two pistols, though he favors Glocks.**

**Yukishiro 'Crazy-man' Enishi: Leader of the Chinese Mafia. Specializes in weapons deals, and currently supplies the CRF Main Base. He expects to be paid at the end of the war, but does not charge as much as most would think.**

**To be continued...**


	9. Stirrings of Love?

CHAPTER NINE

STIRRINGS OF LOVE?

Saitō let the helicopter flare out as he came in for a landing. He was tired, and needed a cigarette very badly. But all in all, it was a good day. On his way back to the base, he had passed over what looked like the smoldering remains of a mechanized infantry battalion.

He and Okita, all by themselves, had managed to knock out three separate artillery batteries and a dozen mobile SAM launchers. And it looked like the base had managed to do well in its own right. As he did the after-flight checks, he thought quickly about his current situation. He was smart; there was no way he was on the same intellectual level as the rooster, nor even the weasel. And he knew that, besides thugs and the like, Shishio had very little actual military presence inside of Japan. At least not any that could strike them for a while. So he expected to have to deal with a lot of worthless skirmishes in the near future.

Finally the rotors stopped spinning, and he and Okita jumped out of the helicopter. And, as was expected, she was waiting for him, his dearly beloved Tokio. She was always waiting for him after every single mission, even before they had married. He smirked, and decided that he could wait until later before he lit up a cigarette. After all, being married to the woman who was in charge of the "safe house's" sanitary systems meant that one had to be more conscious of his health.

This meant, unfortunately, that he had to cut back on his smoking so that he wasn't getting nearly one third of the nicotine he was used to. A small price to pay, however, simply to appease the woman he so loved. He smirked again as he walked towards Tokio, his long legs closing the distance rapidly. He remembered when he first told Sagara and Himura that he was not only married, but had married out of love. The looks on their faces were priceless.

Tokio ran towards him and leapt into his arms, and he swung her in a circle, clutching her closely to him. Despite the joy he felt in his heart to know that she was still alive and unwounded after the attack, he refused to smile or laugh. After all, he had an image to upkeep…

Sagara (Takani) Megumi's POV:

She sighed as she peeled off her latex examination gloves. She should be glad, for there were no fatalities. But that didn't make the forty-three casualties just disappear. She didn't hear the door open behind her, nor did she hear the footsteps approach her.

She jumped a little when arms wrapped around her stomach, but then relaxed as she recognized just whom the firm and well muscled arms belonged to. She sighed as she leaned her head back into the well-defined chest of her husband.

She smiled as her eyes slid shut, and she made a contented noise in the back of her throat. "Wow, for once you didn't get wounded, tori-atama."

He chuckled deeply, the sound vibrating into her back. "Ah, why do I put up with you? You tell me time and time again not to call you kitsune, yet you get to call me tori-atama at will. Why is this, sweetie?"

Megumi just spun around, smiling an even wider grin. "Ah, for one simple reason, husband of mine: I outrank you." Sano immediately stiffened, and then began to grumble. She kissed him softly, silencing his sullen grousing. "Come on," she purred. "Let's get to our house; this place isn't decontaminated from the operations that had to be done."

Sano scooped her up into his arms, and spun her around towards the door, listening to her beautiful laughter all the while. "I think I like that idea…" he whispered, pausing slightly. "…Kitsune." Before she could react in anger, he gave her a hard and passionate kiss, kicking the door open.

Myojin Yahiko's POV:

He tried in absolute vain to smooth down his unruly hair, and for the first time in his life, he cursed his naturally spiky hair. Normally, he didn't even think about it…he doubted if a comb had ever even touched his head. Mostly, it was busu's fault. Kamiya-sensei was mostly absent, guarding his outer lands and crops from thieves and bandits. Mrs. Kamiya, well, she was mostly busy managing the household and estate. So, Kaoru had been the one who cared for him. And the busu didn't do to well of a job.

Eh, who could blame her? These were hard times, the first ten years of his life spent as a pick-pocket proved this much to Yahiko. So the fact that Kaoru completely lacked feminine skills (for the most part) wasn't all that surprising…

He was brought out his thoughts as he heard a soft voice give a surprised 'oh'. "Yahiko-chan! What a surprise to meet you in this part of the base. I thought you would be with the soldiers."

It was Tsubame, the young street orphan. Yahiko grit his teeth at the 'chan', but he ignored it. But if she kept on calling him that…

"Nah, I'm way cooler then any of the soldiers on the base. I'm second only to the Battôsai." He paused, taking a small glance at the young girl. She was giggling softly behind her hand. He grinned widely. The girl he had a crush on thought he was funny! Bolstered by this knowledge, he continued to flirt as best as he could, at a young twelve years of age.

Shinomori Aoshi's POV:

His stoic face was as calm and ice-cold as ever, but he was suffering from one of those damn headaches that seemed to dig sharply right behind the eyeball. The damned Americans talked too much, and weren't used to having to fight for everyday survival. He didn't doubt that some of the CRF NCOs couldn't beat some of the Green Berets down.

Well, on second thought, maybe not. But the more experienced troops, the ones with formal military training and had already been fighting for a good ten years now, _they_ could contend with the Americans.

He sighed as he neared his quarters. The only reason he put up with them was the fact that the UCNA was willing to support them if they could survive their current position for a while longer. Already they were promising some air support from a carrier group not far off the coast of Korea. Some F/A-18C's and F35's, as well as a few support craft were being lent to the cause. Once some more red tape was waded through, they'd be getting some of those new birds, the F20's he'd heard so much about.

He opened the door, and a bundle of living energy slammed into his stomach. He grunted in pain as a jolt of agony bolted through his head.

"Aoshi-sama!" Misao almost squealed in happiness.

"Misao," Aoshi said, in a tone almost identical to the one he always used, but immediately Misao let go of him and stepped back out of his space. She looked intently into his face.

"Aoshi-sama, do you need anything at all?"

Aoshi gave a very small smile. "Aspirin with green tea, and a bath, if you would." Once Misao nodded, he laid a hand on her shoulder. "Arigato," he whispered softly. He didn't know how he would have survived without the lively girl. Amusing how she proved the adage 'Opposites attract'. It often seemed as though she was the only thing keeping him sane. "Come, did you eat yet?"

Misao shook her head. "I already cooked, but didn't eat. I was waiting for you. It is ready to be heated up anytime you like."

"Again, arigato. We will dine together after our bath."

Misao blinked owlishly, and a sly grin spread across her face. "_Our _bath?" she asked with a purr. Aoshi grinned another very small grin, thinking all the while: _Yes, she is indeed a killer in the bedroom. Or, in this case, the bathroom…_

Kamiya Kaoru's POV:

The explosions had ended a long time ago. Which, at the time of the battle, had seemed to be forever, for she was bleeding, as was Kenshin, and to get out of the hole she had jumped into would have meant instantaneous death. This she did not look forward to whatsoever. She _liked_ being alive.

And so, she had waited until the battle ended, and finally get some help to get Kenshin over to the MASH, where they both got treated. Luckily, someone allowed them to be in the same room after the operations.

So there she was, currently bored out of her mind, laying down on a hospital cot, glancing occasionally at the out-of-commission assassin on the cot next to hers. He was unconscious, an IV replenishing his lost body water, trying to get him re-hydrated. She knew he was out of the danger zone, that he was no more dehydrated then if he had worked on a hot summer day.

Still, where her leg had only needed six stitches to close up properly, he had twenty-three all over his body, and a sprained wrist. She sighed, and looked to the ceiling again. Within a minute, however, she was back to looking at the redhead. She couldn't get what Megumi had said earlier out of her head, no matter how hard she tried.

Kenshin suddenly groaned, and shifted as though in pain. Kaoru frowned and stood, ignoring the sharp ache in her lower calf. She limped over to his bed, and lay a soft hand on his forehead. Immediately his fidgeting stopped.

But while she was standing there, she noticed more and more about the man on the bed. He was only clad in a pair of sweatpants, and his blanket hid slid off of his chest. She…well, to put it simply, she checked him out. His well-defined chest, his slim but hard arms, his long fingers.

She wondered just how it would feel for him to run those hands across her body. He was obviously experienced, for he had Kenji, and Tomoe-san was beautiful, if the pictures of her were accurate.

Suddenly she was wishing that she could see more of him then just his chest, and she lightly ran her fingers down his unscarred cheek, and across the sensitive skin above the collar-bone. Her breathing became slightly more rushed, and her nipples tightened as she thought about being with him in bed. Her heart beat faster, and she blushed as her fingers started to drag down his chest.

But then his eyes snapped open, and they were blazing amber. His arm became a blur as he caught her forearm with his hand and pulled her down to his chest. She squeaked as her already aching (but was it a bad or a good ache, she idly wondered) breasts collided with his hard chest. Spears of pleasure shot down into her lower got, and she groaned sub-consciously.

Before she could wonder is she would or wouldn't survive the wrath of the hitokiri below her, his lips were upon hers, almost devouring them. She gasped, and he immediately took advantage of it, sweeping his tongue into her mouth.

She groaned, much more loudly now, and the pleasure grew much more sharp. She realized dimly that she was becoming wet, and desired his touch almost more then life itself.

But then he pushed her off of him, and she stumbled back until she hit her bed and sat down, hard. Just as she was about to ask why he did that, the door opened, and a nurse walked in. "Time for your pain medications, Himura-san…"

**AN-**

**Okay, in terms of Aoshi and Misao's relationship, it is true that Misao is sixteen and Aoshi is twenty-six. And while that is illegal for them to have sex going by today's standards, it isn't in this story. People are far more concerned about repopulating the Earth then ethics. Plus, they love each other. So there.**


	10. Surgical Strike

**AN- This is still a short chapter, so I apologize. But, it is a cliffhanger, so I will work hard on the next chapter. See bottom for part two.**

CHAPTER TEN

SURGICAL STRIKE

An alarm blared, and Kaoru jumped up out of her bunk, joining all the other women in the barracks, grabbing one of her bokken. It had been several weeks since her arrival, and she was finally completely healed, though Kenshin wasn't so lucky. He had suffered slight injuries while protecting some refugees during the last skirmish, and was _still_ in the hospital. And she had adapted to base-life as rapidly as she could. MREs as food, public showers, rationed water, nearly constant threat, these were all things she was used to now.

And she had made sure to avoid Himura-san after what had happened in the hospital. How could she not? No one had ever made her feel so hot and bothered before! It was, in its own right, intoxicating. That did indeed scare her, but Kenshin had only been kind to her since he had first met her, so why should she be afraid? It was all very confusing.

As she moved with the rest of the ladies to a reinforced bunker, she thought she saw a flash of red as a flare went off over the base, but when she turned to see what it was, it turned out to be a pair of men supporting a heavily wounded man back to the MASH. She chuckled humorlessly. Not even the sight of blood and gore sickened her anymore. Nor did the sound of gunfire, which was thick in the air, scare her anymore.

She clutched her bokken closer as an artillery shell landed towards the middle of the base. No matter how many times the Wolf went out and destroyed their artillery pieces, they always had more. She nodded to the two fully armed guards standing sentry and entered the shelter, unaware of the danger that was approaching her rapidly.

400 ft. above ground level, 0200 hours, Juppongatana strike team:

Seta Soujiro looked over the base that lay sprawled below him, the tracers and explosions bright green spots as seen through his NVGs. He paid particular attention to the women of the base heading into a bunker.

"Target identified," he chirped cheerfully into his radio. "Initiating raid." He and the other Juppongatana continued floating downwards, their black gear and black parachutes making them virtually invisible in the evening sky. As the last handful of women and children entered the bunker and the door shut, he checked his altimeter. Eight hundred feet above sea level, so about one hundred more feet to go until he reached the base. "You guys know the plan. Anji, you take Senkaku and retrieve Sagara Megumi from the hospital, everyone else on me as we take the bunker. Copy?" Everyone sounded their confirmation.

Once they were only fifty feet above the ground, Soujiro took his silenced MP5 and easily killed the two guards, both shots hitting each one in the face. They all landed within seconds of each other, and they all leapt into action, Anji and Senkaku running off towards the hospital. Chou looked towards Soujiro, and the young assassin could almost sense the indecision in the tall 'broom-head'. "Y'all think that our informant is tellin' the truth about this here base?"

"He has too," Soujiro answered in a chipper voice. "He knows the price of betrayal." He unsheathed the katana at his side. "Let's go."

Kenshin's POV:

He sat in his hospital bed, remembering his several days out, as the Americans called it, in 'Indian Territory'. But the one thing he remembered even more then those horrible days was his one single moment with Kaoru.

When he had first felt her touches against him, he had instantly reacted, roused from unconsciousness into action in a thousandth of a second. But…instead of an enemy, it was Kaoru. He didn't really _mean_ to kiss her, it just happened on its own. He knew that he would never forget the feeling of her hot body against his own. It was a feeling that he would gladly experience again.

The sudden sound of glass breaking caught his attention, as it was much closer then the sounds of gunfire and explosions on the perimeter. Immediately, as though by magic, his katana appeared in his hands. Upon hearing screaming, he was out the door, katana loosened in its sheath. The sound of suppressed gunfire came to his ears, and he sprang into action.

Within seconds he was out the door, hand ready to draw his sword in a Battojutsu strike. He heard a crash below him, as well as more screaming, only this time from a voice he knew. Megumi.

_Okay, breathe. You are right on the second floor, right above the entrance. It would be easier to…_

He spun around, and leapt towards the window, drawing his sword and letting it flash out twice. The glass broke cleanly, and he crashed through the window smoothly. Spotting two men running out of the hospital, one carrying Megumi, Kenshin immediately targeted the other one. The one with the odd, cone-shaped head… "Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu…Ryutsuisen!"

At the bunker:

Soujiro looked over all the frightened faces staring at him. "Which amongst you are named Kaoru Kamiya, Makimachi Misao, and Saitō Tokio?" It didn't matter if he asked, or didn't ask. He already had pictures of them, and had memorized their faces. Now, all they had to do was collect…

**AN...again- okay, who do you think the informant is? Think about all spies, traitors, and betrayals in the series and/or the OVAs. It _is_ a Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X character, just so you know. I want to see who you guys think it is. Is it I'izuka, Aoshi, Saitō, or someone else? Answer is coming next chapter!**


	11. A Traitor In Their Midst

**AN- Okay, okay, I lied. You didn't find out who the traitor was. Review, and tell me who you think it is. Let's have a poll!**

CHAPTER ELEVEN

A TRAITOR IN THEIR MIDST

Kenshin stared off into the distance, seemingly calm and composed, though anyone that knew him would know that he was terribly angry. His eyes, though an icy blue, seemed to have an undercurrent of molten gold running through them. And though he was leaning back against the wall of the bunker where the women were _supposed_ to be safe, it was easily seen that he was more tense then a strung bow. The muscles in his jaw worked furiously, and his nostrils were flared. He had only managed to kill one of the intruders, the one with the odd cone-head. They were going to have to take blood samples to find out who that bastard was, for his face had been destroyed, Kenshin had made sure of that. After all, getting a Ryushosen delivered into your chin could really ruin your day. As cone-head had discovered.

Regardless, killing that one man hadn't done much for the defenders. The rest, save two, had escaped. Only problem was, the rest had escaped with several of the women. In fact, very specific women. This led to the conclusion that there was a traitor in their midst. Personally, Kenshin felt it was I'izuka. That little rat-faced bastard had not been completely faithful in the past.

And Kami-sama help the Juppongatana once those wronged caught them. Kenshin had seen who had taken who, and he knew exactly those that he needed to kill for harming Kaoru.

Though, he was shocked at the fight that she and Yahiko put up. Honjo Kamatari fell to Kaoru's bokuto after trying to kidnap her, though Kaoru was soon herself taken by Seta Soujiro. Kenshin could recognize that smiling pretty-boy's face anywhere.

He himself had taken down Cho Sawagejo, that sword collecting broomhead putting up one hell of a fight before submitting to Kenshin's skill. It just wasn't smart to try and attack defenseless children whilst Battôsai was nearby, that it wasn't.

Kenshin sighed heavily. So, that was two more Juppongatana captured, and one more dead. So, there were only five left. Fuji had been defeated by Hiko Seijuro LVII, Kenshin's own master. And his diminutive partner, Saizuchi, had suffered a fatal stroke near six months ago. Of course, Kenshin had _nothing_ to do with _that_ convenient and timely death. _Riiiight._

He knew that the time would come for a raid upon Shishio's governmental complex soon enough. And he knew that Sano would gladly come, as well as Aoshi and Saitō. Misao, Tokio, and Megumi had been taken along with Kaoru. One thing bothered Kenshin, though. Sanosuke's reaction was to be expected. After all, Anji Yukiuzan had taught him the Futae no Kiwami attack, and Sano greatly respected the man. However, all respect ended once Anji had kidnapped Megumi, personally carrying her off himself. And Saitō, well, he and Usui Uonoma already had a bitter history, Usui's abduction of Tokio was just one more item for the already long list of grievances.

It was Aoshi's reaction that bothered Kenshin the most. Granted, Aoshi wasn't always particularly expressive. But he didn't show any fear, anger, nor frustration upon learning that Iwanbo, stupid meatball that he was, had taken Misao. No, if anything, he looked like he simply could not believe that this thing had happened. And that alone made Kenshin very nervous, for Aoshi had always been the most realistic of them...he _knew_ the Juppongatana's capabilities.

Thinking of Kaoru's innocent and carefree smile yet again, Kenshin growled in a frustration that he could not contain any longer. Anger, regret, and deep shame filled his being as he slid his saya through his belt. He had promised himself that he would protect her, and now…

Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, and his throat felt as though someone were squeezing it shut. He cleared his throat, and blinked. He heard someone say something about a scouting party bumping into one of Shishio's attack parties. He crouched low, and soon seemed to disappear, heading towards the given coordinates. He was going to give a message to Shishio that that motherfucker wouldn't forget anytime soon…

Sanosuke's POV:

He stepped outside the hospital just in time to see his red-headed friend disappear from sight, and he knew instinctively just _where_ Kenshin was headed. But…none of that mattered. Tears coursed freely down the ex-gangster's cheeks, and he rubbed his face in a futile attempt to make them disappear. He gave a harsh sob as he slowly made his way home, a home that was now empty, and quiet.

No longer filled with _her_ undeniable energy, and silent from her beautiful voice, his home seemed to be nothing. He headed immediately for the fridge, and bypassed the beer. He could have grabbed the sake, but he wanted something stronger. And so, he found himself holding a bottle of the most alcoholic vodka available these days.

He would drink, and forget momentarily. He knew Kenshin would come soon, and they would act, but until then…. He made his way to the big easy-chair that Megumi had gotten him before the war, before they were even engaged. Plopping down in the seat, he simply stared at a photo of him and her during a vacation to the Hawaiian Islands. Soon, nothing but the sounds of quiet sobbing and drinking of a desperate man could be heard in the house.

Saitō's POV:

He sucked on the cigarette harshly, and within seconds, it was down to its butt. The twentieth one he had smoked in the past ten minutes. Okita meekly entered the flight-prep room. "Saitō-san…you know that can't be healthy. Plus, we only have so many of them. If you smoke them all today, where will you be tomorrow?"

"Killing Shishio, the fucker."

"Saitō-san, be realistic…"

"I am," he growled back.

"I was serious, Saitō-san," Okita murmured as Saitō lit up yet another cigarette. "What would your wife-?" He never got the chance to answer as Saitō chucked a pen at him. A pen that missed him, instead burying itself three inches into the concrete wall. "IthinkI'mgoingtogocheckonthehelicopter,okaySaitō-san?" Okita said as rapidly as he could before disappearing.

Saitō returned to staring out the window, towards where his wife had been stolen from him. _Usui, you dumb fuck. You just signed your death warrant, and it won't be quick, nor merciful. No one EVER takes my wife from me. I've killed men for looking at her wrong. And you, you bastard, have done so much worse. I'm going to enjoy introducing you to the concept of pain and fear, and I will make sure you will last as long as possible. Just you fucking wait._

**AN, again- okay, I also have to ask this: should there be a supernatural twist to this story? It doesn't matter to me, either way. I'll go with the popular vote. To make it so, or to not make it so, you guys choose...**


	12. Righteous Anger

**AN- Well, it was a bit depressing not to get any guesses as to who the spy was...well, you find out in this chapter. Plus you get to see Kenshin really, really pissed off. Hope you enjoy! Please read, enjoy, and review!**

CHAPTER ELEVEN

RIGHTEOUS ANGER

Kenshin had returned to the base hours ago, clothes almost completely saturated in blood that was not his. And he had not yet bothered to remove them yet, keeping himself away from his son, heading straight for the one he suspected of treason. Currently I'izuka was pressing himself up against the wall in an obvious attempt to try and keep away from Kenshin. Sano, Aoshi, and Saitō were all in the interrogation room, along with Takasugi-san and the American Green Berets.

The Americans had been so hospitable as to offer to do the torturing, but Kenshin declined the offer, instead allowing them to be a part of the audience. And, needless to say, they were quite shocked at just how persuasive he could be.

"I'izuka, you've done something terribly wrong," Kenshin said, in a soft tone of voice, but not one that could be mistaken for gentle or kind. It was the Battôsai's voice. The kind and loving Kenshin had disappeared over three hours ago. Now was a time when he was in need of the ability to make seasoned warriors wet themselves.

"I swear to Kami-sama, Kenshin, I didn't do it!" I'izuka cried, fear causing his entire body to tremble.

Kenshin drew his katana, and lifted it; golden eyes reflecting in the blade, making it glint wickedly. "I'm going to make you pay, you stupid fuck," he growled, voice dropping several octaves, promising more then just pain for the man cowering in front of him.

I'izuka's eyes widened. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed as Kenshin jumped forward, and a damp patch suddenly appeared and steadily grew around his crotch…

Kaoru's POV, location somewhere inside of Kyoto:

She groaned in frustration, looking around the small and dingy room that they had been taken to after being captured. She was aware of the eyes of the other women watching her, as well as the fact that this was the fiftieth time she had searched this room.

"Kaoru, sit down, would you?" Misao snapped impatiently, for once in a bad mood.

"I don't want to just give up," she angrily retorted. "I'd rather not depend on someone that might not show up to rescue us! In case you hadn't noticed, we have been captured by _Shishio_, the most powerful man on earth. We won't get out of here easily, and we sure as hell won't get out of here by just waiting for our different Prince Charming's to come and rescue us!"

Misao fumed, and Megumi and Tokio, evidently realizing what the girl was up to, leapt up. But before they could do anything, Misao had acted. "Well, at least we _have_ someone to call 'Prince Charming,'" the young girl snapped maliciously. "I know that Aoshi will always come for me, but will Himura-san come for you?"

Kaoru jerked at the low blow, but then jumped forward to slap Misao. A quiet sniffle in the corner stopped her, though, and Tokio and Megumi both went to comfort Tsubame.

"My, my. Fighting amongst yourselves will get you nowhere," came a deep and utterly frightening voice. Everyone jumped and turned to stare at the man who had just entered…the man who controlled Japan and more then half of Asia, Shishio Makoto himself…

Kenshin's POV:

The room was infused with the strong smell of urine, feces, and blood. Someone with a particularly sharp nose could smell the fear. I'izuka gasped as Kenshin stabbed him in the shoulder before withdrawing the blade, his katana moving so quickly that one couldn't be sure that it had even struck flesh…until the blood flowed anew. I'izuka screamed out in fresh pain. "I didn't do it, I swear to Kami-sama!"

Kaoru's POV:

Shishio smirked at them all, his dark eyes turning to Kaoru, roaming up and down her body, and she shuddered with disgust at the lust that lay undisguised in his eyes. "Well, then again, you probably should be fighting amongst yourselves. However, it would be wise to attack the one who betrayed you, not those that can help you."

Kenshin's POV:

"Fine, then, I'izuka. If _you_ weren't the one who did the betraying, who was it? Was it Saitō, who can't go against his ideology? Or was it Sano, betraying his own wife? Or would you dare say that it was me, betraying those that saved me from myself?" he growled, voice rising with each question. When I'izuka didn't answer, and instead just quivered in fear, Kenshin snapped. "**_ANSWER ME!_**" he roared. I'izuka raised a shaking finger, and pointed towards the opposite wall, where the others watched. Kenshin spun, and froze. "You…" he whispered in shocked silence.

Kaoru's POV:

"What do you mean, a betrayer?" Despite the shrill voice of Misao screeching out the question, Kaoru wasn't broken out of her shock. Someone had betrayed them? But…but how could they?

Shishio chuckled evilly. "I mean what I mean…Misao. And I wouldn't suggest being so…rambunctious. After all, I hold your life in my hands. Which is why _he_ had to conform to my wishes."

Kenshin's POV:

Kenshin made no move to stop Sano and Saitō. It was, surprisingly enough, Sano who acted first. "You FUCKER!" the ex-fighter-for-higher bellowed as he grabbed Shinomori Aoshi by his jacket and threw him onto the interrogation table. A clattering and fluttering filled the air as papers and other objects were forced off of the table from the force of the impact. "Futae-no-Kiwami!" There was a dull roar as the steel table powderized under the force of the blow. Aoshi shouted in panic as he began to fall, but Saitō never let him land.

The Wolf of Mibu grabbed Aoshi by the neck and threw him against the wall, the reinforced concrete cracking under the blow. "Gatotsu ZEROSHIKI!" Saitō roared, and in a flash his katana was buried up to its tsuba next to Aoshi's ear. The spy never flinched, but one could easily see the panic starting to form in his eyes.

"Aoshi," Kenshin said, the picture of calm, but even the Americans could tell that there was a hidden rage that hadn't been there even while he had been torturing I'izuka. "You have two seconds to explain why you betrayed before I make the threats you received from Sano and Saitō seem like nothing."

"Theywouldhavekilledher!" Aoshi bellowed, for the first time in his life truly flustered. He coughed as Saitō seized his throat in a steel-hard grip.

With Kaoru and Company:

"But that doesn't explain _anything_! Why would Aoshi-sama do this?"

Aoshi's POV:

He was going to die. He hadn't even known that I'izuka had known. Hell, not even Misao knew…. He tried to breathe as Saitō's hand tightened considerably, and black spots began to form around the edges of his vision. He futilely beat his hands upon the angrily quivering forearm of Saitō. "The……fuckers…implanted an explosive device……inside of Misao's chest…!" He gasped but to no avail. "If……I didn't……do as they wished…she would……have………died!"

Misao's POV:

They…used her? Against her _Aoshi_? She gave a soft sob as she collapsed against her bunk. "No…" she whispered in despair.

Kenshin's POV:

"Release him," he said, but Saitō squeezed harder, causing Aoshi's face to turn an unsettling shade of blue. "Saitō! Release him! I let you have him to kill if he isn't what I think he is, just release him, **now**!" _No one, not even the Wolf of Mibu, could disobey the Battôsai when he is giving orders in that tone of voice_, Kenshin thought with an odd combination of despairing amusement and sadness. "Aoshi. How are we supposed to believe you? Misao was taken as well."

Aoshi coughed roughly, blood dribbling down his chin. "They…weren't supposed……to take her! I am…not fighting for the Chosu, nor…for Japan, Kenshin……don't you feel the same about Kaoru? You…fight solely for her, and your son," Aoshi accused, and Kenshin flinched as though struck. _Could he possibly be right?_ Meanwhile, Aoshi was continuing. "All else is irrelevant. They…were supposed to leave Misao behind, and I could escape with her. If I didn't…do as they said, she was dead. But…" now his voice gained strength, "…now that they have taken her, I cannot forgive them." His eyes gained a steely glint. "I will kill them all if possible. Please, give me this chance!"

Kaoru's POV:

She glared at Shishio as Misao's sobs filled the air. "I have always had chest pain…I thought that…it was nothing!" the young girl wailed.

"You bastard," Kaoru hissed. No one hurt one of her few friends. "I'll make you pay. Just wait till they get here."

Shishio smirked. "Oh, I can't wait," he said, deep voice shivering with anticipation as he tossed a packet of photos onto the floor. "They will come, and they will come soon. I couldn't possibly want to hinder your…reuniting. However, once you do meet…well, little Misao will suffer from an unfortunate 'heart-attack', and my men will come and kill you all. That is, if the bomb doesn't kill you all." Shishio stepped back, and started cackling as the door shut, and soon the heavy steel partition shut out all sounds of the maniac. Kaoru could hear Tokio, Tsubame, and Megumi comforting Misao as she bent over to pick up the pictures. She gasped as she realized what they were.

They were satellite photographs of the countryside outside of the CRF base, and they depicted the remains of one of Shishio's attack waves. It was hard to see through the smoke of all the destroyed vehicles, but she could…she could _just_ make out…

She dropped them, feeling suddenly ill. She had seen all of Shishio's men lain out in untidy lines, all of them dyed red with their own blood. They were all lain out in easy to read kanji. Kanji that read: '**_Give her back, Shishio. Give her back, or I come. Battôsai._**


	13. The Demons Come

****

**AN-Sooo, only one review for the last chapter. Thanks, guys. That boosted my confidence. And just when we were getting to the pivotal part of the story, too. See bottom for abbreviations.**

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

THE DEMONS COME

Kenshin rolled his head, feeling several vertebrae pop with the relieved strain. He sighed as he looked down at Kenji, who slept peacefully on his cot. The hitokiri knew exactly how powerful Shishio was, and knew that if he went off to get Kaoru back, there was a good chance that he wouldn't come back. He stood, his black BDUs rustling quietly.

Within seconds he was gone, outside of the barracks where his son would be staying in safety while he was gone. He only hoped that he would return soon to his last remaining family member. He quickly jogged towards the armory, where his weapons and gear resided.

He began to form strategies, plans, and counter-plans, for one could not just walk into any of Shishio's strongholds and come out alive. There was even a chance that Takasugi-san would try and prevent them from going. After all, only his best warriors would be going on this suicidal raid. Not that it mattered if he did or didn't, for Kenshin would not let even his superior keep him from rescuing Kaoru.

_I can't leave Kaoru to Shishio, Kenji likes her too much. He's looking up to her almost like she is his mother. And I could never deny Kenji a mother._ A quiet voice spoke in the far recesses of his mind, **_Is that the ONLY reason you want to rescue her?_** He briefly remembered the feel of her slight body against his, the remembrance of that which was hot and soft in a sinfully delightful way.

He sighed as he opened the door to the armory, which also acted as a locker room where weapons of combat gear could be stowed in personalized lockers. But when he looked up, he froze in shock. All twelve of the American troops were getting into combat gear, chatting idly with each other in English. One of them noticed him, and all stood at attention and saluted him sharply. "Kon'nichiwa! Sir, when are we moving out?" the Captain of them said in a crisp tone of voice.

"Excuse me?"

"Sir, it is one of the duties of the UCNA SOG to rescue hostages whenever possible. It looks like this is one of those times, sir!"

Kenshin looked over them with a critical eye. "If you think you can keep up with us, then you're free to do so, American." He sauntered over to his own locker, and opened it, the sight of all his gear greeting him, as well as a picture of Tomoe. To his surprise, there was also a picture of Kaoru, while she was laughing. 'Hey, Kenshin, I thought you might enjoy this…your friend, Sagara' was scrawled messily in the corner of the photo. It had been a while since Kenshin had actually used this locker, so it was no wonder that he hadn't seen the photo until now.

He shook his head as he pulled out his tactical vest. Making sure both the clasp for his katana and the sheath for his combat knife were fixed to the heavy nylon belt. Slowly the items he pulled out of the locker and added onto his person grew in number. Night Vision goggles, as well as polarized goggles. A gas-mask, also with a polarized lens. Spare mags for his M4 Carbine. Body armor strips for special slots within his vest. Elbow and knee pads. A Kevlar balaclava and Kevlar extended gloves which went all the way up to his elbows. A K-pot, as the Americans referred to the Kevlar helmet. All of this in black.

As he used the mirror in his locker to smear black face-paint around his eyes, he thought about how fucking stupid this was. How could he survive this battle? Would it be best to simply stay home and protect his son? He braced his arms on the sides of the locker, and stared into the mirror. Steel blue eyes regarded him coolly back. He closed his eyes, cloaked in darkness. _No. Kenji loves her too much. Plus Aoshi, Sano, and Saitō are all going to go rescue their loved ones. We need to do this right, and if I don't go, they will fail._ An insidious chuckle rumbled through his mind. **_Admit it…if you don't go and rescue her, you'll never know just what her tight and innocent body will feel like when it is clenched around you. You will never hear her voice, begging for release. Let me take control, and these things will happen. Let me have some fun._** He opened his eyes, and brilliant gold shimmered in the mirror. Battôsai was awake, and he reveled the feeling of being alive.

_Okay, Battôsai. With your being awake, tell us where Kaoru has been taken,_ the steely eyed Kenshin asked softly yet dangerously.

_Yes. You should tell this unworthy one. All of us are just begging to be taught be the 'almighty Battôsai,' that we do,_ the purple eyed and overly innocent 'Rurouni' asked, talking for the first time in a long while.

**_She's been taken to Kyoto. It's where I used to operate, and where Aoshi used to have his headquarters. Saitō is also very familiar with the area. If Shishio wants to bait us and ambush us, then he will want us to have a false sense of security. So…shall we party?_**

01:03 hours, the Air-lane above Kyoto:

Okita let loose a salvo of Maverick missiles, and guided them to their targets, destroying the triple-A batteries. "Go, go, go!" he shouted and the two Blackhawks roared past him, rotors stirring up the rain that fell from the sky and the smoke that rose from the Earth. He looked down at the pilot of Saitō's helicopter. _Stupid bastard better not let us get hit. Saitō would KILL me if we crashed his 'copter. _He watched as the twelve Americans jumped out of one Blackhawk and Saitō, Kenshin, Aoshi, and Sano jumped out of the other. "Oh, Shishio! The demons come…are you ready?" he crooned as the two Blackhawks lifted off and the pilot began the escort duties. They would fall back just outside the threat range of Kyoto's air defense systems. "Kami-sama be with you, gentlemen," he whispered as the central complex of Shishio fell out of sight.

BDUs-Battle Dress Uniforms, the uniform of the United States military

SOG-Special Operations Group...this is not limited to the Green Berets, but can also include the Navy Seals, Army Rangers, and other such units.

Maverick Missile-a guided missile that uses a television camera for the gunner to use whilst controlling the missile. An old design, but very reliable.


	14. That Which She Did Not Deserve

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

THAT WHICH SHE DID NOT DESERVE

Captain Daniels cursed as a spray of bullets slammed against his position. He just _knew_ that trying to help the chink assassin was a bad idea. Yet he couldn't help but volunteer. It had simply seemed like the right thing to do at the time. That was, of course, _before_ he had bumped into a machine-gun nest. "Well, this little vacation has gone FUBAR!" he muttered angrily as he checked the action of his M8 Assault Weapon. Before he could turn around the corner to try and lay down some suppressive fire, one of the Jap SF guys jumped past him bearing a fifty caliber assault rifle. Jacobs thought it was Sagara, though he couldn't tell with three of them being so close in height yet all bearing the same gear. His suspicions were confirmed, however, when he saw the little kanji symbol meaning evil on the back of the chink's helmet. It was Sagara.

Sagara opened fire, the HMG shells spilling out of his weapon's action rapidly, bouncing and tinkling against the ground like so many bells. Now, Jacob's knew of the American fifty caliber assault rifle, but that fired dumbed down rounds, with less gunpowder, making it less powerful. Sagara, nah, he was firing full sized fifty caliber shells, the roar drowning out all other noise.

The tall and lanky chink stopped firing only to pull a M67 from a spare pocket. He threw the frag grenade down the hall, and ducked around the corner with Jacobs as there was a resounding 'boom' as well as multiple screams resonating down the corridor. Jacobs could only think one thing: _These people are really scary individuals._

Kenshin's POV:

Once the three Shishio SF personnel were directly below him, he dropped from the ceiling, and his blade flashed thrice. Blood suddenly painted the walls and floor, and the three men slumped down to the ground, dead even before they were able to utter a single sound. It was better this way. Gunfire had been echoing throughout the compound for the past twenty minutes and he couldn't tell what was happening over the radio. After all, only four of his sixteen comrades-in-arms were speaking Japanese, and he couldn't understand English. All he could do was keep moving forward.

He felt a presence at his back, and spun, sword lifted, ready to be flung forward at a second's notice with Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu Battojutsu Hiryusen. He didn't attack, however, when he noticed it was Shinomori. He sure as hell didn't let his guard down, though, that was for damn certain. Not after what he had done.

The tall ninja simply gave him an understanding look as he reached down and cocked the actions of the two MP5s strapped to his legs. Smacking the charging handles sharply, the MP5s gave off that odd 'ka-_chack_' noise that couldn't ever be mistaken for anything other then a weapon. Shinomori strode up to one of the doors in the corridor…a door labeled as 'command room'. In fact, this was Kenshin's target. From there, he could find where Kaoru was.

A look of hate flashing oh so briefly across Shinomori's face as he brought up his foot and kicked the heavy door down like it was nothing but a shoji panel. He pulled the two MP5s up, and was in the room, the sound of his weapons firing mixing with the screams of pain from the men within.

Kenshin waited until the gunfire stopped, and then stepped through the door, absently noting the carnage caused by the tall ninja. He was far more interested in the security monitors. Quickly scanning the glowing screens, he pointed. "There, corridor 3A, room 24." Within seconds, the room was empty, save for the smell of blood and the light from the computers illuminating the gun smoke hanging thickly in the air.

Saitō's POV:

He fired two shots, catching one of the guards squarely in the chest, and as the other reached for an assault rifle, Saitō charged forward, using a standard Gatotsu. Only it was an M14 rifle and not a sword that slammed into the mouth of his enemy.

The guard made an odd squealing noise as the barrel broke both skin and tooth as it was forcefully thrust into the unfortunate man's mouth. The guard looked at it cross-eyed before he looked back up to Saitō, fear easy to read in his eyes. "Unlock it," Saitō ordered, nodding to the door that the guard was standing in front of. The guard frantically fumbled with the key pad, somehow managing to type in the correct code. Unfortunately for him, Saitō wasn't feeling particularly gracious today. Once the panel above the keypad turned green, he smirked. "Thanks, kuso-yarou."

Saitō pulled the trigger, and there was a muffled 'boom' as well as the sound of a bullet ricocheting as his M14 fired. As well as the wet and sharp sounding 'smack' as the back of the throat and upper spinal column of the guard splattered against the wall. The guard made some of the most interesting gagging and choking noises as he collapsed.

Saitō moved to open the door, but movement on both ends of the corridor had him bringing his rifle up, ready to fire. To his annoyance, it was the rest of the strike team showing up. His ire raised another few levels once he noticed that not all of the Americans had shown up. Either they were still out _there_ doing whatever, or they had fallen to Shishio's men.

"Kenshin, you and Aoshi get your asses into that room and get our women out of their. Sano, you form up with me…we have the heaviest weapons. American's, you split up, half with baka over there, and half with me," he ordered briskly.

Kenshin's POV:

He nodded, and moved quickly. After all, Saitō _did_ outrank him, and had actually led combat operations like this. Kenshin only officially had attained the rank of Sergeant, and usually his operations required him to go out into the boonies alone. So in situations like these, Saitō was in command. As much as Kenshin resented the fact, he couldn't change it.

He moved up to the keypad and depressed the 'open' button. With a pneumatic hiss and a hydraulic groaning, the heavy portal opened, revealing the faces of five scared women. He was about to step into the room, but then realized with a jolt that their faces grew more frightened rather then more relieved. "Kuso!" he hissed. "Aoshi, matte!"

But the tall spy did nothing that showed he even heard Kenshin's sharp order. Instead he charged right into the room, not even checking for traps or anything like he would have normally done. This is what turned out to be his greatest mistake.

Misao jumped up, and Kenshin watched her actions with alarm. "Aoshi-samaaaaaa!" she screamed, but not with the usual joy, but with a piercing note of terror. Even as she was jumping up, there was a sickeningly muffled 'pop' and her eyes snapped wide open with pain.

Aoshi's POV:

_NOOOOOO!!!!! _This was the only thought that ran through his mind as he watched his fiancé drop slowly to her knees and then to the floor. _NOOOOOO!!!!!_ He ran over to her and scooped her slight form into his arms. Peering into her blank and lifeless eyes, he shook her, even as gunfire started in the hall. "Mi-Misao!" he sobbed, tears coursing freely down his cheeks. Someone was yelling his name, but he cared not. The one he wanted to save was right here, in his arms, defeated by his idiocy.

"-we've got to go, come on!" one of the women yelled, and he was being dragged to his feet by several different pairs of hands.

"I can't leave her," he mumbled. Not her, never her.

An exasperated sigh. "Then take her with you! We've got an army bearing down on us!" This was shouted by one of the Americans. Aoshi stood up stiffly, Misao's dead body cradled protectively in his arms. No longer would her bubbly nature be a shelter to the storm of the war around them. No longer would she greet him with that thousand Watt smile. A flicker of anger started deep within him. But it was not the red hot flames of rage. It was the ice-cold flame of pure vengeance.

"Tokio. Take her," he murmured softly. The second Misao's body was removed from him arms, he stepped forward, his MP5s in his hands, appearing as though by magic. They did unto her that which she did not deserve, and they were going to pay for it.

**AN (Terms): FUBAR- Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition, self-explanatory.**

**SF- Special Forces, easy enough to understand**

**HMG- Heavy Machine Gun**

**Next Chapter, you get to see Aoshi really pissed.**


	15. The Great Escape

**AN- Well, the UCNA finally gets to get some action in the chapter. And there is a lot of death and wounding. Just as a warning. Read, enjoy, and please review!**

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

THE GREAT ESCAPE

Saitō's POV:

_Kuso!_ _Why does this _always_ have to happen?!_ This was his thought as he fired recklessly down the hall at the mob of soldiers sent to kill them. It was then that one of the Americans lobbed a white phosphorous grenade down the hall, and with a bright flash and loud boom, the thing detonated. Screams echoed down the corridor as those unfortunate enough to be caught within the blast radius began to voice their pain. Saitō smirked.

"Kenshin!" he shouted, and instantly the hitokiri was by his side. "We've just cleared the way down here. Can you get us out by that route?"

Kenshin nodded, and was just about to talk when Shinomori stepped past them, walking stoically towards the end of the hall. "Kuso!" Saitō growled, and he turned towards the American Captain. "I only see eight of you! Where are the rest?"

The captain fired a three round burst towards the enemy troops on the opposite end of the hall, and then turned towards Saitō. "Two down and two defending our LZ!" There was a sudden snapping pop, and a scream of agony as one of the Americans fell, blood spurting from a hole in his face.

"That's three down!" Saitō snapped as he himself picked up the dead man. "Move!"

Aoshi's POV:

He hissed as a bullet tore against his arm, but he continued firing, hitting the man who shot him with a hail of bullets. Hearing movement behind him, he turned, bringing his guns up to bear, but froze when he saw that they were his allies. Screaming came at his back, and he turned again, unleashing a burst that tore the charging enemy from his hip to his opposite shoulder.

He ran forward, skidding to a halt as he saw a door burst open. A man with a minigun and smoking a cigar leered at him, and Aoshi recognized the man with a start. In the blink of an eye, Aoshi had pulled an M67 from one of his cargo pockets, pulled the pin, and threw the weapon down the hall like he used to throw a baseball when participating in the CRF baseball games.

Unfortunately Kanryu unleashed a burst, catching Aoshi in his thighs with four or five bullets. Aoshi grunted as he dropped to his knees, but he was able to keep his gaze fixated upon Kanryu as the grenade caught him right in the face, breaking his nose. Kanryu gave an agonized scream just before the grenade detonated, and Aoshi covered his eyes as fragments trailing smoke pinged around him.

"Aoshi's down!" someone shouted.

"Chikushome!" Sanosuke swore.

Aoshi frowned upon hearing this. He wasn't down, he was just nicked. He didn't register the fact that he just had four 7.62mm rounds put through his legs. Shaking his head to clear the pain, he stood shakily, and took a step forward, nearly falling down in the process. "I'm okay. I can keep going!" He bent down, and retrieved his fallen weapons. "We've got to keep moving," he said, his usual stoic face in place.

Kenshin's POV:

He took one look at Aoshi, and snapped. "Aoshi, you get your sorry rear back and help defend the women. I'll take point!" Hearing more battle cries, he took his M4 and started to fire at the oncoming enemy.

Suddenly Saitō stood at his side, also firing at the onrushing troops, and after a few seconds, they retreated, the counter-attack diminishing. "You and me both, Battôsai."

He nodded, and they began to move forward again, but not as fast as he would've liked. They already had two dead, and that was slowing them down. But there was no way that they were leaving anyone behind. "We take a left up at the next intersection," he called back to the rest of the group while he and Saitō stepped it up, getting ready to take down any opposition before the main group showed up.

Oddly enough, he and Saitō didn't encounter anyone, even after a few minutes had passed. "Kuso," he said softly, but not softly enough that Sano didn't hear him through the radio.

"Yo, what's wrong, Kenshin?"

"Nothing's wrong, except that nothing's wrong. We aren't making contact."

"Calm down, Kenshin. We just scared them-" the sudden sound of gunfire from the rear silenced Sano.

"Sano? Sano!" Kenshin shouted, but his friend didn't answer him. "Saitō, hold this position, I've got to go help them!"

Saitō glared at him for a second, but then nodded. Kenshin spun on his heel, and was immediately sprinting back towards the main group.

Sano's POV:

He had been calmly talking to Kenshin, not paying as much attention to his duty of holding the rearguard, and look where it landed him. The two shots that hit him tore through his armor and into his stomach. He dropped to his knees, blood dribbling out of his mouth, the liquid being absorbed by his black balaclava. Kenshin was shouting something into his radio, but Sano didn't understand a word he said.

A dull roar seemed to envelop him, and nothing made sense, besides the basics. He picked up his rifle numbly, unaware of the bullets snapping and impacting around him. Why couldn't he breathe? Oh, yeah. He had that balaclava over his face. Why was it there?

He tried to tug it off, but his helmet stopped him. He frowned, and removed both of them as quickly as he could. But once he dropped them both, he still couldn't breathe. Suddenly a pair of hands grasped his BDU jacket, and a beautiful woman was shouting at him, her face filled with worry just as much as anger.

"Meg…umi?" he whispered, and everything came back to sharp focus. "Kuso-yarou!" he roared, pushing her hard. "Get down and stay down!" Not even one millisecond after he had said that when a bullet tore through his arm…right where his wife's chest would have been.

He spun to take out the bastards who were shooting at him, but took another two hits, one grazing his neck, the other catching the side of his face, reducing hearing in that ear to a loud ringing. Regardless of his wounds, he finally brought his weapon into play, the loud roars from the heavy weapon drowning out the sounds of the enemy gunfire. As he paused to reload, he realized that Megumi was shouting at him.

"-and if you die, you baka tori-atama, then who am I going to yell at?! I swear to Kami-sama that if you go down I'll bring you back and then kick you in the ass!"

Sano pulled the bolt back on his rifle and let it snap forward with a decisive clack. "Yare, yare, kitsune. I'd rather you not yell at me, sweetie. I'm working!" He fired another burst down the hall, and then stood on wobbly legs. Damn. He had lost a lot of blood. "Come on, Meg, we've got to keep moving." He looked forward, and saw Kenshin coming towards him. He lifted his arms and motioned forward.

As he did, there was a hiss, and then a snap as a bullet ripped by him. He watched in horror as it caught one of the American's square in the chest. The man made an odd coughing noise as he stumbled back, and it almost seemed as though he were alright. It was then that a bullet caught him in the helmet, the round drilling through the Kevlar and into his head.

There were no theatrics, no odd flip from the force of the bullet, or any scream from the man. He just rag-dolled, dropping like a sack of potatoes, blood spilling heavily from his wound. One second he was alive, and the next he was dead. Sano just swore as he ran forward and slung the man over his shoulder. "Let's get the hell outta here!" he screamed angrily.

SFC Mackenzie (18B, Special Forces Weapons Sergeant), LZ Romeo:

"Staff Sergeant Becker!" he shouted over the sound of his M249 SAW firing. The man he was addressing was fiddling with a radio. After all, he was an 18E; he was in charge of communications. "Have you got that Herky bird on the horn yet?"

"Not yet, Mick," the man calmly answered as he probably fiddled with the knobs.

"Well, hurry up. The Cap's gonna be getting here soon, and they've got casualties. We don't need anymore."

"Ah, I've got 'em." There was the sound of paper flipping, and Becker started speaking again, only in a more clear voice. "This is Sierra-Foxtrot-one-eight-echo-alpha. AC-130 Spectre gunship, do you copy?"

There was cackling from the radio, and then a female answered. "Roger, this is AC-130 Spectre, named Banshee. I am monitoring the situation. Do you have a sit-rep?"

"Ma'am, we are getting chewed up. We have two MIAs and three KIAs, and we need immediate support. I am popping smoke over the LZ, and will give order to fire. Copy?"

"Roger. Ten-four."

Mackenzie reached into his ass pack and grabbed the infra-red strobe that was their 'smoke'. "Careful, Mick. We've got friendlies inbound. Cease fire."

"No shit."

He paused and watched the fourteen people running in, two of them carrying his felled comrades on their shoulders, as well as one of the women carrying what liked like a girl. The girl had no visible wound, but she was, without a doubt, dead. "Captain, sir!" he called out, and one of the figures lifted his hand. "We've finally got support. There's a Herky bird up above us, just waiting to join in on the fun. They'll lay down support as our birds come in."

Kenshin's POV:

Once he heard the man's words, he started. Herky bird? Surely he didn't mean the old C-130A, named after the Greek hero Hercules? That craft had no weapons to speak of. Maybe they were talking about the newer AC-130H Spectre.

"Kaoru," he called out, and instantly she was by his side, holding onto him as though he were the last person on Earth. He realized dimly that she was crying, the sobs wracking her body. It was then that he realized he loved her. "Kaoru," he repeated. "It's alright. We're safe now. And you should see the fire works that will take out those that hinder our escape."

Colonel Laura Evens's POV, UCNA Pilot; AC-130H Spectre Gunship 'Banshee'; 500 ft. above ground level:

"All friendlies clear of strike zone. Preparing to engage." She pulled her joystick to the side, and held it steady once her plane was angled forty-five degrees to the ground. Port side facing the enemy, of course. "Banshee, let's make 'em scream."

Behind her, she knew that eleven men worked diligently to fire their respective weapons. She looked over her instrument panel briefly before she looked out the port window, wanting to see this.

She saw dozens, maybe a hundred, little lights that represented the enemy. The light was reflected off their clothes and their faces, and her NVGs picked up on this. She could see all of them. Suddenly her craft shuddered violently, and she momentarily wrestled with the joystick to keep the Banshee steady. The disturbance was accompanied by a loud roar.

Funny thing was, she hadn't been hit by enemy fire. Nope. The 105mm field artillery piece on her plane had just fired. There was a less loud cracking and pounding as the 25mm and 40mm cannons started firing as well, and two of the four 7.62mm miniguns also opened up with steady roars.

She grinned as the explosions from the cannons pounded into the earth below, and winced slightly as the beams of light from the miniguns lanced through the sky and into the enemy on the ground. Funny how every sixth round for the miniguns were tracers, yet the weapons fired so fast that the tracers gave off an almost continuous beam of light. It was startling to see for the first time, and had been thought to actually be lasers when those inexperienced with the weapon saw its awesome effect…

She kept her flight pattern for a few minutes, and then straightened out. She saw three helicopters heading for the LZ, their own weapons reaching out and touching the enemy. "This is the Banshee. Fire-mission complete. RTB." It had been a good day. For the first time, the UCNA had actually sponsored a direct military action against the dictator Shishio. It was finally _their_ turn…


	16. That's Impossible

**AN- Yeah, I'm REALLY sorry about how long this took. But, due to the fact that my family just moved to South Carolina, I'm pretty sure that that is reason enough. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or (most importantly) SUGGESTIONS that you would like to address, please review and bring them to my attention. I didn't like how this chapter turned out, and will gladly change it if one of you ask me to. Not an entire rewrite, mind you, but I could easily add on or take off...**

**Anyway, READ, ENJOY, AND _REVIEW!!!_**

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE

It was a quiet ride back in the 'copter. Of course, this didn't surprise Kenshin. Sano and Aoshi were wounded; Sano damaged to the point where if he weren't as tough as he was, he would've already died. Misao, Sergeant First Class Bunnell, and Staff Sergeant Sharp were dead. Staff Sergeants Smith and White were missing in action, but no doubt they were dead by now.

_So many good men dead. All because Shishio can't stand losing and decides to be an asshole! He's lucky he didn't do anything to Kaoru, or I swear I would've killed him._ Kenshin groaned as he rubbed his hand tiredly over his face, his calloused digits fluttering over his scar.

"Five minutes!" the crew chief manning one of the helicopter's 7.62 GPMG shouted, holding up five fingers. Kenshin barely acknowledged him. At least Kaoru was safe. She was currently huddled up against him, covered in a wool blanket to ward off the chill nighttime air that whipped through the cabin. By now she was probably asleep.

He did not like the idea of having to wake her up when they landed, but Kenji missed her something fierce…as did he, now that he thought about it. Maybe he didn't want to wake her up simply because her weight against his arm was very reassuring. Plus, she had been through a stressful ordeal. She should be allowed to rest at least a little while longer, right?

Which was why, ten minutes later, Kenshin was carrying the girl to his little bunkhouse, where Kenji was no doubt waiting for his return. Kenshin sighed, and carefully drew in a deep breath, fully taking in the scent of jasmine that was solely Kaoru.

It was not long before he opened the door to his quarters, and to his surprise, Kenji wasn't present. Maybe he was with his 'aunt' Megumi. _**Perfect, now you can take her without any undue interruptions**_. Kenshin ignored the Battôsai within him. Gently placing Kaoru on his bed, he tried to ignore how she felt in his arms, how soft and womanly her curves were. _Kami, Kenshin! Get a hold of yourself, man! _he reprimanded himself. _Not only is she eighteen, but there is no way she is interested in being with a hitokiri like yourself!_

_**How the hell do you know that one for sure?**_ the Battôsai questioned hotly.

_Surprisingly, this one agrees with the dark one. Maybe you should ask Kaoru-dono what her wants and…desires…are._

Kenshin groaned and took his head into his hands, wishing for his two alter-egos to be silent and leave him be. They just HAD to start up, didn't they? How could this evening get any worse?!

"Ken…shin?"

He dropped his head into his palm. He asks how things could get worse, and she wakes up. Perfect bloody timing! _**Ask her now, dammit! Now is the perfect chance. DO IT!**__Yes, now is indeed the perfect chance, this one thinks. You really should ask her.__** Come ON! Even the shrimp Rurouni is agreeing with me! Ask her, I demand it! **__This one does not appreciate being called shrimp. I do not like-_ Kenshin finally snapped at the two personas within his head. "Shut…up!" he whispered harshly. Hearing Kaoru's sharp intake of breath, he immediately regretted it. "No, Kaoru…"

"If you didn't want to be in my presence, you should have made that clear sooner!" she gasped, and Kenshin looked up to see her shaking with repressed tears.

"Kaoru, it wasn't you I was talking to!" he exclaimed.

She lifted her hear, angry tears spilling from her eyes. "Then who _were_ you talking to, Kenshin?! There is no one else here!"

"Kaoru," he started hesitantly. "I…" _**I want to take him over! **__That would be a mistake, that it would. I am the better one at diplomacy.__**At least I'D get results! **__This one wants her just as much as you do. This one will get results, and Kaoru-dono will not hate us.__**Fine. Do what you will… **_Kenshin gasped, realizing just what the two were planning. _Rurouni, I swear to God that if you-_ he stopped as it suddenly felt like he was struck in the head with a frying pan. Growling with frustration, he could do nothing but watch as 'Rurouni' had taken over his body. "Kaoru-dono," his alter-ego also hesitantly began, "this one is sorry that you think that this one was talking to you. This head is just so full of thoughts of battle that one needs to call for respite."

It was amazing, really, to see just how quickly Kaoru calmed down. "Well, damn, Kenshin, if you had just _said_ so, then it would have been okay. It just seemed like you had been talking to me, is all."

Kenshin growled within the confines of his mind as Rurouni let out a very convincing sob and buried his head against Kaoru's shoulder. "Kaoru-dono!" he cried as he enveloped her in a hug. "This one doesn't know what to do anymore. Being a Hitokiri is slowly but surely destroying this one." _**Goddamn suck-up!**_ Battôsai growled. _**It's not THAT bad being a Hitokiri…I could even say it's really fun.**_ Rurouni ignored Battôsai pointedly. "_Please_, Kaoru-dono, if you could help, this one would be eternally grateful!" As he said this, Rurouni let his hand lightly brush against Kaoru's stomach. Kaoru gasped almost inaudibly and she writhed slightly. _If Kaoru-dono says that she desires us, will you follow through if I let you have control again, Kenshin?_ Kenshin froze within the confines of their mind, contemplating. _Yes. But ONLY if Kaoru truly wants this! But…why? Why are you willing to relinquish control? __It has been so long that this one is tired, and…whoa!_

The reason for Rurouni's shock was readily apparent as Kaoru latched her hands behind Kenshin's, for he was back in control, neck and firmly pressed her mouth against his. Kenshin pulled away just after letting enough time to pass to show that he was interested so that she wouldn't be confused even more than he was. After all, this was his first time kissing her. The first time was a reaction of pure lust from Battôsai…. He shook his head slightly.

"Kaoru, are you sure?" he asked. "Not only are you younger than I am, but my hands are stained with the blood of countless-" WHACK! Kenshin froze as he felt the sharp sting atop his head from where Kaoru hit him.

"Keeeeeenshiiiiiiiiiiiiin!" Kaoru growled angrily, looking every bit like a very irate teenaged girl. "First of all, stop sending so many damn signals! I swear, it's almost like you have more than one person in your head, baka!"

Kenshin pointedly ignored the snickers within the confines of his mind.

"And, Kami, will you _please_ stop sending all these mixed signals! One moment your interested, the next your ignoring me! What is _up_ with that?! I know that you are a lot older than I am, but Misao…" Kaoru froze at that, pain edging her voice. "Misao and Aoshi were already living together before she died," she continued with a much more subdued voice. "They were ten years apart. Another thing is that everyone has blood on their hands in this day and age. Especially people around here, you can't deny that. The only difference between you and them is that you are infinitely better than they-" _**Damn right!**_ Battôsai crowed, "-and you are much more honorable than most of them."

Kaoru stopped, and took a deep breath, her breasts slightly rubbing against Kenshin's chest in the process. Both of them felt the tingle the friction produced. She then looked at him, her eyes shining with life, love, and bittersweet happiness. Kenshin realized then that what he had felt for her before was not quite love. Close, but not quite.

That was more an affection brought on by stress and the let-down of an adrenaline high. But this, this glowing feeling deep within his core, this desire to always be at her side, to protect her from all harm…THIS was the love she so justly deserved. He would fight the war to the end, maybe even fight harder, for her knew who would be waiting at the end, with her arms wide open for him and him alone.

Kenshin gently placed his hand at the back of her throat, and she mewled slightly at the heat that spread down her spine from that simple contact. He applied gentle pressure and brought his own face forward until their lips met in the middle. Kenshin twitched as he felt a jolt run through him and Kaoru openly groaned.

Kenshin quickly took advantage of that and claimed the initiative by deepening the kiss. He shivered with desire at the taste of her as well as her responsiveness. _As sweet as jasmine and as wet and warm as fresh tea…perfection!_ Before he could react, Kaoru deftly reminded him that Kamiya Kasshin-ryu also taught jujitsu as she neatly and quickly deposited him onto his bed, back first. She straddled him with the same grace and ground her hips into his.

_This is all beginning to look very promising_…Kenshin thought in a part of his brain that was somehow still functioning even with a hot goddess sitting on his lap. Kenshin shivered as Kaoru quickly rid herself of her shirt and he looked over her form, noticing everything. Yeah…his mind wasn't coherent at _all_ anymore!

Elsewhere on the base; Aoshi's POV:

The machine whined as it drew in more and more energy. Aoshi stared at the figure nestled with the machine's confines, energy fluctuating and pulsing so that the form wavered. "It's not possible…" he whispered, but one of the technicians heard him anyway.

"Well, sir, there were great breakthroughs in this field before the plague came, but I have to remind you that it is still vastly experimental. The subject suffered much damage. This process could do more harm or completely restore the harm. We'll just have to wait and see." After her speech, the techy moved on, leaving Aoshi alone. He stood there in the dark room, watching…waiting…_hoping_ for the impossible to come true…


	17. For His Country

**AN: Thank you so much to sulou, ELLIE 31773, Ladydot, xXoro-chan, and gabyhyatt. Thanks to them, I decided to post this next chapter ASAP, and I did, in fact, write this in about three hours. All because of them. I wanted this chapter to be longer, but I think I left it at the perfect cliff-hanger. You'll see what I speak of. Anyway, please read, enjoy, and review.**

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

FOR HIS COUNTRY

UCNA Capitol Building, New York City:

"Goddammit, we can't just abandon those people! They are fighting even as we speak!" General Bartlett roared, his voice echoing in the meeting chambers. The men, no, they were _politicians_, not good enough to be called _men_, simply stared back at him, coldly disinterested. Bartlett remembered the days when he was a United States Marine Corps Brigadier General. All that he had to do to get his men to go to war was convince the President of the United States that it was a good thing to do. God, he missed those days. Now there wasn't a single Commander-in-Chief, and he had to get through these dipshits to get anything done.

"We have no reason to go to war, and your case has only helped confirm this fact, Commanding General of the United Countries of North America Armed Forces." Bartlett cringed slightly. The man made it sound as the being the CGUCNAAF was dishonorable. You wanted to talk about dishonor, look at these pitiful wimps. "We have wasted several thousand dollars on a 'rescue mission' that cost us four lives and several munitions that we need. Fuel, ammo, food…I'm beginning to wonder if it was a mistake to send the Green Beret A-Team."

"Sir!" Bartlett said as forcefully as he could, musing for a second that he could have all of these men arrested and then executed…but that was a rather poor joke. "The only mistake was not sending more men and supplies! This is a way to stop Warlord Shishio Makoto," he stumbled over the name, "at the source. We would-"

"It does not matter what we would or would not do," one of the few woman representatives sneered, and Bartlett ground his teeth. There were good people before him, but they feared the political power of those that weren't decent. He _hated_ politics with a passion. "What matters is that the combined power of the UCNA and the ESF can stop anything Shishio can throw at us. We have no reason to attack him at the source."

Bartlett stared at her, dumbfounded. "No reas…!" he spluttered. "Woman! What in Sam Hill are you talking about!? There are several million innocent Asian civilians under the brutal yoke of Shishio! We _have_ to help them!"

Another voice spoke up. "You will address us as is proper, General! You know as well as we that Shishio has not let us offer economic aid to his people. We can do nothing else but keep our neutrality."

Bartlett gripped the edge of the podium so hard the wood creaked. "And what…pray tell," he growled savagely, "would we need to _lose_ our…neutrality?"

"If a citizen of the UCNA or any of the countries that form the UCNA lost their lives while in the territory of Shishio Makoto."

Bartlett nearly had a stroke. That was impossible! There _were_ no…. He paused as he remembered something, or rather, someone. "Can the person have been a former citizen?" he asked, hope beginning to form.

"Yes!" someone shouted. Ah, yes. Adrianna Rose, probably the most sympathetic person on the board. "Yes, of course. If they left the country on pressing business, I'm sure it is okay for us to include them in this category." Bartlett was impressed. Miss Rose was doing a wonderful job of ignoring the stony glares she got from some of the other delegates, but no one raised their voices in opposition. "You are dismissed, General Bartlett."

Bartlett saluted the UCNA flag that was hung on the wall behind the delegates and turned a neat 'about-face' on his heels before calmly leaving the room. He really would have to talk to his son about accepting Miss Rose's proposal. He could definitely enjoy having her be his daughter-in-law…

CRF Headquarters, Captain Daniels' POV:

He frowned as he listened through the headset. _What the hell kinda orders are these? I thought we'd be withdrawn, especially after losing a third of my team. But this? This is just too weird._ "Shinomori, you're going to want t'get Himura. Something is in the works, and it's pretty damn big."

To say the least, Daniels was surprised at how well Shinomori kept his cool. It wasn't until the end of his narrative of his new orders that the ninja actually looked bothered. Daniels wasn't too surprised. If he had received the orders that came over the radio, he would have been very bothered as well.

Elsewhere on the CRF base:

Takasugi stood up and saluted sharply as the dirty and smelly figure stepped through the gates of the base. "Finally, sir. It's good to have you back!"

Katsura Kogoro merely smiled lightly as he shed the dirty and frayed jacket that he had worn as cover, so that he could blend in with the civilian population better. He needed a bath, and he wished to see his soon to be wife, but he was more concerned about his leading assassin. His own personal enjoyment would have to be put on hold. Right now he needed the sit-rep. "Old friend, tell me what has happened."

Before Takasugi could answer, Katsura noticed Shinomori coming towards him with two of the most experienced soldiers of the base following, as though he were a prisoner, or someone not to be trusted. For a moment, Katsura wondered how Shinomori could have known about his presence, but then he smiled to himself. Ah. Of course. The man _was_ the Okashira of the Oniwabanshu.

"Katsura," Shinomori said as he came to a halt. He respectfully bowed and Katsura returned a shallower bow, showing his authority. "Katsura, this country needs your help, but the thing you must do will be very hard for you."

Katsura sighed, wondering what Shinomori would say next. "I am always prepared to do anything for my country." At Shinomori's next words, Katsura suddenly wished that he wasn't so focused on saving his country. He sighed bitterly, and suddenly felt his age in every inch of his body. So…tired of this. "Do it," he whispered, and with those words, he felt as if he sold his soul to the devil. He noticed the distinctly troubled look in Shinomori's eyes, and knew he wouldn't be the only one hurting. "Let Saitô be the one. He would be the one to want it the most."

"Hai, Katsura-san. It shall be done."

Kenshin's POV:

He awoke and for the first time in what seemed like forever, he felt completely at peace. Realizing the warmth that seeped into his body for what it was, he smiled with his eyes still closed. He pulled Kaoru closer to him, reveling in the feel of her snuggling into him. He slowly opened his eyes, and was met by the steady loving gaze of her sapphire orbs. "How did this happen," he whispered tenderly. "How did I become so blessed with your presence?"

Kaoru giggled at that, and tapped his nose with her pointer finger. "Stop waxing poetical, Kenshin. Both of us are blessed with each other. We can both be happy in each other's arms, right? Now, I think we should both take a bath. We both still smell of battle, and last night's…activities," she blushed prettily at the mere mention of it, "has definitely not made us smell any better."

Kenshin laughed at that and sat up, Kaoru now sitting in his lap, blushing both at their nakedness and at their nearness. Kenshin, for his part, was also blushing, but he also looked over Kaoru with love and passion. She was his as he was hers. Nothing could change that now. "Go, you can use the shower first. It's through that door there," he said pointing.

Kaoru laughed, nodded, and hopped off his lap, not even bothering with clothes as she sexily sauntered to the shower, teasingly wriggling her butt as she walked, and Kenshin laughed at it, reveling in the fact that this was even happening. He had never felt happier since Tomoe's death. He felt as a though he were a new man.

After Kaoru had been in the shower for ten minutes, there was a knock at the door, and Kenshin threw on a pair of pants as he went to answer it. It was only seven in the morning. After the mission, it was odd that someone would bother him so soon. Kenshin frowned as he opened his door, but then he smiled as he noticed it was Sanosuke. "Ah, Sano. I am glad that you have healed enough to be up and about. Are you feeling well?"

Sano nodded gravely, and Kenshin got the feeling that something was wrong…very wrong. Sano had a very hurt and guilty look in his eyes. "Listen, Kenshin. Katsura got back; he says to meet him in the hospital as soon as you can, 'kay?"

Kenshin blinked, casting his ki forward, trying to sense any threat. There was none, so he frowned at Sano, but nodded. "I'll be there in about five minutes."

Sano made a gesture of farewell as he turned and walked away, leaving Kenshin feeling as though there was ice in his stomach. Sano…not asking for any food? What was this? He quickly got dressed, and went to his bathroom door, which led to a very small shower stall and his toilet. He knocked hard, knowing Kaoru would be able to hear him in such a small room. "Kaoru-dono, I need to go to the hospital to see Katsu. He just got back, and needs to speak with me. Meet with me there, okay, koishii?"

"Hai, Kenshin. I'll be right there!" Kaoru shouted happily, and went back to the humming which Kenshin heard easily through the door. He smiled softly, sadly, his sense of warning shouting at him. Something was wrong, and he was going to find out what it was.

He dressed slowly, and made sure to slip the saya of his katana through his belt. He wasn't leaving his house without it, not with this sense of warning permeating the air.

He left his house, bright sun making him squint, even though it wasn't even two hours after dawn. His senses had heightened, and adrenaline was in his veins.

He made his way to the hospital slowly, taking in everything. Even the people of the base felt that something was wrong. Nobody spoke. Nobody moved. It was silent.

He opened the door to the hospital, his heart thundering in his ribcage. An orderly pointed him in the right direction. He was at the door when he heard Kaoru enter the building behind him.

He opened the door and saw Sano, Aoshi, Saitô, Katsura, and Takasugi waiting for them, a look of extreme guilt on all their faces. The fact that even Saitô had such a guilty expression made Kenshin realize the danger.

"I'm sorry," Saitô said as he pointed the Beretta M9 at him. He reached for his sword even as Saitô pulled the trigger. His speed allowed him to draw his sword halfway before the bullet struck him.

The deafening crack of the pistol's report. The smell of gunpowder and sorrow. The scream of the one he loved. These were the last things he remembered. Himura Kenshin, the infamous Battôsai, was dead before he hit the floor.

**AN (again): Yeah, bet you didn't see that one coming. So, review and tell me how much you hate me, or review and ask me what the hell that was. I'll answer both, sooner if you leave a signed review, later if you remain anonymous. Cheers!**


	18. Dogs of War

**AN: See? This is how I reward those people who reviewed! I get lots of reviews, I try my hardest to update rapidly. Lot's of things happen in this chapter, so keep your eyes and minds open readers. Any confusion can be answered by me, if you leave a signed review or if you PM me. Check out the glossary at the end of the chapter (which I also hope you noticed is longer than usual by about 1000 words). Read, enjoy, and REVIEW!**

CHAPTER EIGHT

DOGS OF WAR

There was a wet thud as Kenshin's body hit the floor, his back bloody from the round that had drilled clean through him. The tinkling of the empty brass casing hit the floor seemed overly loud in the deathly silent room. It was then that Kaoru screamed. Her keening wail of pure heartbreak made all those responsible for Kenshin's death regret all that they had done.

"God! Kenshin, NOOOOOOOOOOO!" she screamed as she ran into the room, dropping to her knees next to the body of the only man she had ever made love to. She made a heartrending noise, halfway between a sob and a moan as she cradled his crimson head in her shaking arms. Katsura gritted his teeth and clenched his eyes to try and stop the tears, and Sano didn't even try as he gave a harsh sob. He was a brother to Kenshin, and he repaid him and Jou-chan by ­­_this_! What kind of man was he?

Kaoru tried to say something to the man she held lovingly in her arms, arms that already were stained red with his warm, wet blood, but no word passed her trembling lips. Something in her snapped, and she gently lay Kenshin down before she stood, her sneakers squeaking softly in the puddle of blood she now stood within. Fire burned in her eyes, a rage so potent that all the men in the room took a step back, fearing her moment of madness.

"Kisama…" she hissed in a voice more deadly than a snake's, "Kisama kuso yarou! Omae o korosu! SHINE!" she screamed as she leapt forward and tackled Saitô. He had not been wholly prepared for the assault and fell under the brunt of Kaoru's weight. "Shine!" she screamed as she punched down with already blood stained hands. "Shine! Shine! SHINE!" she screamed the mantra over and over, punctuating her words with brutal jabs with her fists, putting all of her weight behind every attack.

It took both Aoshi and Sano to drag her off of Saitô, who had been unable to defend himself from the attack, though whether this was from the guilt that shone clearly in his eyes or the fact that he had been totally unprepared from the ferocity of Kaoru's beating was unclear.

"Kamiya!" Aoshi bellowed over Kaoru's wordless screams even as he and Sano were having trouble stilling her movements. "Kamiya, remember your style and its rules!"

"I was going to be 'Himura' not Kamiya, yowayowashii!" she sobbed. "Himura, not Kamiya!" She collapsed, reduced to frantic tears, brought to hysteria at the death of her love. Her crying would not stop for hours, not till long after she had been brought to a padded room, for all worried for the young girl and what she might do to herself whilst in the throes of depression.

It was silent in the room after Kaoru had been taken out, her sobbing fading as she was brought to one of the 'safe rooms' by four security officers. It was, unsurprisingly, Saitô who spoke first. His face was swollen, and Kaoru had broken his nose, but he refused to have it get checked out. He needed the pain…the punishment. "I…can't believe that I…" he did not need to finish the sentence. "Even after I threatened him for so long, I…I didn't want it to end _this_ way…"

Katsura spoke next, after silence had again reigned supreme in the room for several minutes. "Get the Americans in here. They need to see his body so that they can tell their superiors. We will see if it was worth it to lose our most skilled warrior to gain the support of the UCNA."

Aoshi started at the words, but he held his tongue as the American Captain entered the room. He must have already been informed of Kenshin's demise. "Look," he said in Japanese. "I know you need the support, so I'll tell my CO that Kenshin was killed by a well placed traitor, but never _ever_ think that I agree with what you people did. This man was better than all of us combined, and he deserved better."

Aoshi knew at that point that Daniels was a good enough man to be told. He cleared his throat. "Actually, I must inform you all of something. Once I learned of Captain Daniels' communiqué, I knew that I would never blindly sacrifice Himura's life, not even for all the support in the world. The only reason I ever agreed with the plan was because Kenshin can be healed."

His statement was met by shock and silence. "NANI?!" Sano shouted, lurching to his feet.

"I am not lying, nor joking. Katsura-san, I am sure you know of something called the Healing Chapel, yes?"

Katsura frowned, thinking, but he nodded. "I thought that it did not work…"

"Oh, no, sir. It works, but not after twenty-four hours since the subject has expired, and as long as the subject has eighty percent of his or her body mass remaining."

Everyone gave him a long look, and Aoshi fidgeted ever so slightly. "Misao," Saitô growled before he reset his nose with a nasty sounding crack.

Aoshi nodded. "Yes, Misao. She is currently resting on the second floor of the hospital, for she had seventeen percent of her body restored to her by the Healing Chapel. She needs the rest, but with Kenshin, I'm sure that his recuperation period will be much less. He was wounded less, and has always been a fast healer."

Daniels looked troubled. "Are you sure the UCNA will give support even after Kenshin comes back? Isn't that against the rules?"

Aoshi smirked, probably the most expressive his comrades had seen him. "Well, Captain, I'm sure that the UCNA needs to only know that a former citizen of the United States died while in lands held by Shishio. There are no rules saying that he can't come back using the technology at our disposal, neh?"

Daniels gave a feral grin at that. "You are completely right, sir. How silly of me to doubt this. Please, let us take the necessary pictures so that Kenshin can come back and you can get the necessary support. We have a long day ahead of us."

Philippines, 1st UCNA Marine Division Headquarters:

"Sir, I'm pretty sure you'll need to see this, sir!"

Major General Richards looked at the screen displaying his new orders given by General Bartlett himself. He blinked in shock, and then grinned. "So it's true then, huh? We'll finally be going to war then, boys." After all this waiting, he would be leading the 1st Division into Japan, striking at the heart of the world's most dangerous empire. He would be the one to take down Shishio. "Assemble the officers to the briefing room."

After giving his order, Richards took his time getting some coffee, straight black like he liked it, and leisurely made his way to the briefing room, giving his men plenty of time to make it there before him. He entered the room, and immediately everyone jumped to the feet and stood at rigid attention. "Officer on deck!"

"At ease people," he smiled, and the tension of the room drained. "Today, at 13:52 hours, I received information that a former citizen of the United States was killed while inside of Warlord Shishio Makoto's territory. This is all that we needed to declare war on the bastard. Since we are closest, we get to be the preemptive strike. The UCNA Army will take care of the enemy inside of Russia, and the 2nd and 3rd Divisions will be landing along Korea and South Asia. We can expect help from UCNA Airbases inside of the Philippines, and the Navy will be providing artillery support from the battleships USS Missouri and the USS Wisconsin, as well as missile strikes deep into enemy territory. Needless to say, we will also receive full support from the Naval Air Forces, as well as close air support from our own Marine pilots." He lifted his pointer, and a detailed digital map of Japan appeared on the wall. "We will be landing at Shizuoka, and with local intel we'll decide whether to proceed either to Tokyo or to Kyoto," he said calmly, pointing out the different areas on the map. "The Chosu Rebellion Forces have been fighting Shishio ever since he came to power, and they will be sure to know of his current location. I hope that he is in Tokyo, for it is easier to strike at him there, not only with our ships but also with our aircraft and missile strikes. Plus we won't have to fight our way through several cities in order to reach the objective.

"Now, if we attack Tokyo, we will be using the Tomei Expressway, but if Kyoto be our target, then we will head down the southern Tomei Expressway and then diverge onto the Meishin Expressway. Any questions?"

"Yes sir," came from the back of the dark room. "What tactics will we be using in the attack?"

"Blitzkrieg. We will use bombing runs and missile strikes to help pave the way, with our tank battalions and armored recon battalions leading the charge and our Assault Amphibian Battalions bringing up the rear with all the necessary supplies. Remember, most of the soldiers stationed in Japan are not used to war, and the lands are not as fertile as they used to be. I expect morale to be low. This won't be a cakewalk, just remember WWII, but it shouldn't be impossible, even with just one division. I expect casualties, but we'll do fine. Any other questions?" No one said anything. "Good. You are all dismissed. The D-day of Operation Nutcracker will begin one week from now." _Ah, I did miss this feeling…the Dogs of War bay at the door. Well, I'm not one to ignore their call._

CRF Main Base, Healing Chapel Room, Kenshin's POV:

Darkness. Blissfully empty darkness. Here there was no pain, no fear, no exhaustion. There were no wars, no traitors, no problems. But…that was also no love. Where…where was Kaoru-dono? Where was Kenji? Where were all his friends? Why was he in-?

_**PAIN!**_ Pure, uncensored pain ripped through his chest, and he remembered vaguely through the white-hot grip of agony that he had been shot there. Another wave of pain tore through him and Kenshin screamed soundlessly. _What is happening to me?_

Slowly his other senses came to him, and he was aware that he was straining against restraints that held him down securely. Metal groaned and leather creaked, but the restraints held. Kenshin gasped as his lungs opened themselves to sweet oxygen. After a few more minutes of struggle, he finally relaxed, feeling weak but in working order. "Somebody go tell Saitô that I'll kill him," he coughed, half serious, half joking. I don't care if I was aware of the Healing Chapel; I'll put his sorry ass in here next!"

There was a pneumatic hiss as the canopy to the pod he was in opened, and he met Sano's concerned brown eyes. "You knew?" he asked in shock.

"Kami-sama, of _course_ I knew!" Kenshin groaned. "You could have at least told me what was going to happen! Now get me out of these restraints before I add YOU onto my list." In a few moments Kenshin was free, and he sat up, holding his aching head in his hands. "I remember," he whispered softly now, "I remember Kaoru seeing this happen," he said as he gently touched his chest. "How is she?"

Sano frowned grimly. "I'm stuck on letting you see her, or somehow breaking it to her softly."

"Sano," Kenshin growled, his voice deadly as he climbed out of the pod. "I _love_ her, and you are suggesting she be left in the dark, in pain as she thinks I am dead. This is certainly not wise on your part."

Sano visibly flinched. He should have known that Kenshin was going to be pissed. After all, not many people appreciated being betrayed and murdered by one that he trusts. Kenshin scoffed. All he needed to do was take one warning step forward, and Sano caved. "Alright! Jeez, no need to get threatening. She's in the psych ward, in one of the padded rooms."

Kenshin growled softly, but shook himself. "My son?"

"Unaware of your passing. He won't be affected by this, I swear."

Kenshin nodded, and headed towards the door. But he paused, and turned back. "Why was it done."

Sano shrugged under Kenshin scrutiny. "We now have the support of the entire UCNA Armed Forces. They've already declared war. I think we'll see them within two weeks."

Kenshin grinned in an entirely predatory fashion. "So, the UCNA will strike, probably with the backing of the ESF, though without the UMA, but no surprise there. Nonetheless, it will be a slaughter. Shishio will be outmanned and outgunned. It will be a glorious slaughter." With those words he turned and left, sensing Sano's shudder of fear. _Finally Shishio will be overthrown_, Kenshin mused. _After all these years of killing and war and suffering, I'll be able to stop fighting…Kami-sama do I look forward to that day!_

With those thoughts echoing within his mind, Kenshin rapidly made way to the room where he knew his loved one was being held. Spotting two guards in front of the door, he glared with faux anger at them…not that they could tell it was fake. "Leave, now." The guards left, almost wetting themselves at the look on Kenshin's face. Kenshin rolled his eyes after they were out of sight, and shut off the cameras inside the room from their external access point. No one should look upon a distraught Kaoru. No one but him.

Entering the room softly, his heart went out to his Kaoru, who sat huddled on her bed, facing away from the door. He crossed the room and sat next to her silently. She gasped and turned towards him. "How?!" she gasped in shock.

"Technology at its finest," he responded, feeling his heart jump painfully at the sight of her grief filled eyes and the tear tracks that ran down her cheeks. He did not expect what happened next, however.

Kaoru grabbed his shoulder and practically threw him down onto her bed. "Kaoru, what the hell are you-?!" He was silenced as she forced her mouth onto his while simultaneously straddling his hips and grinding her pelvic region into his. Kenshin was shocked and awed, and blushed as he felt his blood rush down to his groin.

He was even less prepared when Kaoru pulled open his fly and pulled his member out and tested his hardness with inexperienced hands. Apparently satisfied, she opened her own pants and abruptly sheathed him within her, crying out with pain from the suddenness from it all.

Before she could begin to rock her hips against him, Kenshin grabbed her waist and held her still. He smelled fresh blood, and knew it was from Kaoru. "Kaoru, koishii, stop!" he hissed. "This is not how it is supposed to be, and you know it! Why are you acting like this?" he growled, and Kaoru collapsed upon him, shaking.

"I'm just…" she sobbed, "I'm just afraid that you aren't real, that you'll disappear again. I _had_ to know that it was you!"

Kenshin sighed and moved his hands from her hips and enveloped her in a tender hug, trying to ignore how _tight_ she was. "Kaoru, I'm real. This isn't a lie, this isn't false. I was brought back using a device in the base which can bring back recently dead people. It's really hard to explain, but don't worry. I'm back…forever." When she tried to rock against him again, he squeezed his arms gently, and she stilled. "And we are not going to continue this until you are ready. I cannot abide the thought of causing you pain, koishii."

With those words he began to rub her back gently and kissed and softly bit his way down the side of her face and down along her long and elegant neck. She moaned when he kissed over her pulse point, and he grinned softly before nibbling at that point. She groaned, louder this time, and she arched her neck, allowing him greater access to the area. _And to think_,_ I'm about to make love in the psych ward of a MASH. How…odd._ After that, he gave himself completely into the moment, making Kaoru feel the final release many times before he finally succumbed to the pleasure that his loved one made him feel.

A few hours later:

Kenshin was silent but basking in the warmth that was Kaoru as her walked along the packed tables of the mess hall. He (using Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu lunch tray carrying technique) was carrying three trays of food. He smiled as he sat down at the spot reserved for him by Kaoru and Kenji, and laughed gently as Kenji told Kaoru what he had been up to in the day that Kaoru and he had been absent. Kaoru, for her part, focused all her attention on his son, nodding and laughing in the appropriate spots.

Kenshin sighed happily as he distributed the food. "Sorry, guys, the food is the normal muck that these guys give us." Ignoring the duplicate groans of disgust, he shook his head while laughing. "I know, I know. Unfortunately you have to eat to keep strong." To prove his point, he began to wolf down his food as quickly as possible to ignore the taste it left as it went down. To his surprise, as well as Kenji's, Kaoru didn't seem to have any problem with the food. She didn't enjoy it, obviously, but she wasn't repulsed by it, either.

"What?" she asked, mouth full of what should have been rice but wasn't. "Why aren't you guys eating?" she questioned, swallowing. She brightened up. "Sure it isn't good, but it's better than my cooking. You should be grateful for the small things."

"You got that right, busu!" came a rather obnoxious shout from down the table. Kenshin looked and saw Yahiko laughing. He also noticed Tsubame sitting next to him, closer than was normal. _Oh, so the little guy has a sweetheart. How cute._

"Yahiko-kun, that isn't a very nice thing to say about her," the shy girl murmured, and immediately Yahiko looked apologetic.

"Sorry, busu!" he shouted sincerely, and Kenshin couldn't help but laugh as Kaoru smiled a rather fake smile at the boy.

"Oh, that's alright, Yahiko-_chan_!"

Yahiko snapped. "How many times have I told you! I'm not little!"

Sano, who had been walking by with Megumi right next to him, laughed heartily. "'Course you are, squirt. You're little until you're as big as me!"

"Am not!" Yahiko retorted before launching himself through the air to gnaw on Sano's head. The entire hall was laughing at the two's antics when the power suddenly shut off.

Kenshin had already gathered Kenji in his arms when Kaoru looked at him questioningly. "The final battle," he said grimly, "has just begun. We must get you to safety, koishii."

**Glossary:**

**Kisama: bastard, and/or you, in this case probably bastard**

**Kuso yarou: (my favorite) mother fucker**

**Omae o korosu: I will kill you (to a person of lower status)**

**Shine: die**

**Yowayowashii: coward**


	19. Beginning of the End

**AN: Wow, guys, I'm not going to lie. I'm wiped. I started writing this earlier today, and after a goodly number of hours of not writing it, I returned at about ten at night and finished the last three-quarters of this chapter. And golly-gee, does this one have a lot of words to it. This, my friends, is the last major battle to take place at the CRF Main HQ. However, do not think that that means it is the end of the war. It might be the last defensive battle for Kenshin and the gang, but they still have to find and destroy Shishio.**

**Please note that I have posted this at near two o'clock in the morning, and that I have been working very hard at it. Plus, a 5000+ word chapter in a period of a day is some hard writing, so I hope you appreciate. **

**As previously noted, this is a battle. Not even a particularly bad battle in terms of descriptiveness, which my later chapters on the subject of war will most certainly be bloodier. Anyways, you'll meet a lot of people that you won't have met before, and some you won't meet ever again. This might be a bit confusing, but what battle isn't?**

**Anyways, please. Read, enjoy, and most importantly, REVIEW! Any technical questions may be addressed in the reviews, and I ask that you please appreciate the fact that I've pumped out chapters for this story like crazy. Three chapter in...six days? I will be of the utmost gratitude if you do me the small favor of reviewing. Thank you.**

CHAPTER NINETEEN

BEGINNING OF THE END

Kenji was crying against his shoulder, and Kaoru was asking harried questions. The CRF soldiers were everywhere, some running about, shouting wildly, asking where their gear was, but most were moving in one direction: for the trenches. Women were crying for their husbands, and children screamed for their parents. Above it all, however, was the sound of distant yet approaching aircraft.

_**BRAAAM!!!**__**BRAAAM!!!**_ Kenji screamed in pain and even Kenshin flinched as the two loud blasts sounded near them, their shockwaves rolling over them. He looked towards the mountain boundary of the base, and stopped, shocked. There were two 105mm cannons, and each six-man crew was scurrying to fire the next salvo. There were two hollow yet heavy 'sh-tunks' as twelve men operated two 4.2 inch mortars.

**Sh-tunk-tunk-tunk!** Now the hitokiri's eyes were drawn to the left were the ground sloped down towards where the enemy was coming from. Three 81mm mortars had fired rapidly; three men to each gun, already readying their next rounds.

The ground rumbled, and at first Kenshin feared a carpet-bombing run from their enemies, but then he noticed _them_. Five Type 90 MBTs rumbled out of a hidden bunker like some monsters being awakened from eternal slumber, belching diesel exhaust behind them as they came. Even Kenshin, who was the epitome of balanced strength for the infantryman, who was the most famed Hitokiri of modern times, even _he_ was awed as the tanks paused, and then roared to life, racing for the frontlines.

"Kami-sama," he breathed in shock. "Everything is being activated! All seven hundred fifteen military personnel are being thrown into this fight." All the mortars and the two cannons fired, by some twist of odd luck simultaneously, and Kenshin was jarred back into action.

"Kaoru-dono!" he shouted above the noise and she was instantly by his side, looking about with awe. "This is not like any of the other attacks. No doubt Shishio has withdrawn one of his Divisions from the field-!" he noticed Kaoru wasn't paying full attention to him, "Kaoru!"

Immediately her focus was on him, and he winced as he saw the look in her eyes. She wasn't the spirited kenjutsu assistant master now, nor was she his lover. Now she was a scared teenaged girl, struggling to cope with her surroundings. He drew her into his arms, kissing her fully on the lips. Once she relaxed slightly, he pulled back, still embracing her lightly. "A Division, Kaoru. That's fifteen _thousand_ men, so they'll outnumber us almost twenty-one of the enemy to every single soldier in this base. Sano, Aoshi, Saitô, and I will be fighting our hardest, but…but I know not how this battle will turn out. I beg of you, stay safe." He kissed her again, softly, passionately, pouring his love for her into that one gesture. He handed her Kenji, and he was glad his son did not resist the change of arms. "Go with the women, Kaoru. We _will_ meet one another again, I swear it!"

With that he was gone. Kaoru stared after the red hair that bobbed in between groups of people. She would have likely called out Kenshin's name just to see his face had she known that this was the very last time that she would ever see her loved one.

CRF Main HQ, Katsura's POV:

"Sir, we have multiple contacts, all over the board! Bearing one-eight-zero to one-seven-zero degrees, I repeat-"

"Sir, there's almost too many to count, I've lost track-!"

"First enemy sightings, they're leading with a tank compa-"

"Shifting artillery to enemy position, we-!"

Katsura alone stood calm in the chaos. His mind was thankfully clear of thoughts, clear of doubts, fears, and hopes. He was only aware of the clear and present danger. "How many air contacts?"

"Forty…no…fifty…_sixty_…SEVENTY-TWO!"

A wave of despair rolled over the room. They did not have enough anti-air missiles to destroy that many planes.

"Sir…I'm receiving interference on my screen, like I'm getting a bounce off of a target that isn't there." This information arrived to a silent room.

"Bearing?" Katsura asked, his voice carrying over the gunfire now heard outside.

"Due North, sir. Zero degrees. I rate them at…sixty thousand feet! They're even higher than the enemy B-52 stratospheric bombers by ten thousand feet!" The man paused. "Sir, I'm getting another reading…thirty-five thousand feet, it's an AWACS, same bearing as the interference."

The radio crackled. The room again fell silent, and the radio operator looked questioningly at Katsura. He nodded. "This is CRF Main HQ, who are you and what are your intentions? Over." the man asked in English.

There was a short pause. "This is UCNA AWACS Skyeye. We are reading baeucoup bogies closing on your position. Need some help? Over."

"That we do! Who do you have? Over."

"At the moment, we have Raptors ahead of us, and Hornets, Hogs, and a Spectre behind us. Over."

A cheer rose up in the room. "We have seventy-two enemy aircraft ETA five mikes away from us. We have eighteen missiles that might take out five enemy aircraft, as well as M163 Vulcans. We need your help, over."

"Well, don't worry, you've got sixteen Raptors heading in right now. They will be engaging the enemy bombers in two mikes. Over."

"We've got additional UCNA readings from the same bearing; sixteen F/A-18 Hornets at forty thousand feet, twelve A-10 Warthogs at thirty thousand feet, and one AC-130H/U Spectre Gunship at twenty-five thousand feet. ETA, twelve minutes."

Katsura breathed a sigh of relief. The just might see this day out with their new allies. Only Kami-sama knew where things would go now…

F/A-22 Raptor Lead Flight, Lt. Colonel John Martin;

60,000 ft above sea level, Mach 1.58, heading south:

He sat in his cockpit calmly, listening to Beethoven's 9th Symphony as he looked at the clouds several thousand feet below his aircraft. It was so peaceful up here. Six other squadrons of Raptors had been patrolling this bit of airspace over the course of a couple of weeks. Now it was his squadron's turn, and they were hiding, so to speak, in plain view. Once the first sign of trouble appeared on the radar, they had radioed in, and soon they had two squadrons of combat support aircraft, an AWACS, and a gunship coming in behind them. His men and women would, for the very first time, be getting a piece of the action.

His radio crackled, and he hit the stop button on his mp3 player. "We have the enemy B-52s below us," his number two pilot said stoically. "I count twelve, though I want to know where they got _our_ military plans for the bird." She sounded more annoyed than angry.

Martin sighed in amusement. "I count twelve, keep your AIM-9 Sidewinders, and use guns. Ghosts thirteen through sixteen, standby for further orders, keep a holding pattern and watch out for us. Ghosts two through twelve…LET'S GO!"

Twelve Raptors dived, hurtling towards their unsuspecting prey…

B-52H Stratofortress Flight Lead, Colonel Egawa Yuudai:

49,894 ft above sea level, 950km/h, heading north-northeast:

He looked calmly over his instruments again, sure in his ability. He led the third largest bombing campaign ever ordered by Lord Shishio, and he was proud of being given the honor. They flew above any weapons that the puny CRF had available to them, and in three minutes, they would crush the main resistance to Lord Shishio.

"Sir!" one of the CWOs behind him shouted. He turned back to the man, annoyed that he had shouted out like so during one of Lord Shishio's greatest triumphs. But the look that the CWO had on his face silenced any rebuttal that he would have normally received. "We have contacts above us. Faint, but they're there…and closing, fast!"

Yuudai froze at that, but then immediately looked forward, his sharp eyes searching the horizon for any threat. But then his CWOs words rang true in him, and he looked up, and up…and there they were. Falling from the skies far above them like meteors, harbingers of doom and death, UCNA fighters! Yuudai turned abruptly in his seat, facing his radio operator. "Warn HQ now, dam-!" He never got the chance to say another word.

Lt. Colonel John Martin;

47,021 feet above sea level, Mach 1.58, heading east-southeast:

He looked behind him as the great bomber lost all control and began falling like some great bird of prey that had been broken, just as all the other B-52s were. Bomber threat neutralized. He remembered the shuddering feeling of his 20mm M61A2 cannon firing, remembered the rounds reaching out, tearing into the bomber's cockpit, destroying its ability to fly. He briefly felt sorry for the pilots and crew of the great bird, but then he remembered the briefing about the base: there were a lot of unarmed civilians stationed there, and bombs were _very_ indiscriminate.

His radar beeped, and he glanced at it. "Tally-ho, boys and girls, we have incoming hostiles. Sixteen F-15s, on an interceptor course. Arm your Sidewinders. Fourth Flight, descend upon them from the heavens. Heads up people, we are now entering real combat. May God be with you all." Another thought came unbidden to his mind. He and his flight might very come out as aces by the end of the day. He smirked. Something to look forward to, then.

The bogeys were twelve miles away for the first three Flights; ten miles for the Fourth Flight. "Ghost Squadron, select your targets." He watched on his HUD as each of the green dots that were his enemy each, one by one, became red as they were targeted by his squadron. He selected the last one. "Ghost Squadron, missiles away!" He smirked: each of the missiles fired flew faster than ten miles a second. Surprise!

F-15DJ Eagle Flight Lead, Captain Eiji Nakayama;

35,000 ft above sea level, Mach1.2, heading west-northwest:

"Kami-sama! The bombers! The bombers are falling!"

"WHAT HIT THEM?!"

"Nothing's on my radar!"

"Keep your eyes open!" he ordered, not letting the fear he felt show in his voice. He was a junior officer, as far as flight leads went, but he would be damned before-

WARNING! ENEMY TARGETING SYSTEM DETECTED!

He stared at his HUD in shock. No! How…where were they?!

MISSILE WARNING! MISSILE WARNING!

"Where are they?!" he screamed just before the AIM-9 missiles that had been targeted at his squadron flew into his formation. The fact that he had unknowingly flown straight into the missile tracking his jet's infrared signature never registered to Nakayama; his cockpit evaporated with the force of the explosion.

Lt. Colonel John Martin;

40,000 ft above sea level, Mach 1.7, heading southeast:

"-repeat, our SAMs have knocked down seven F-2s! What is you sit-rep, over?"

He smiled. Good, so he wouldn't have to do all the work around here. "We have knocked down the twelve bombers and intercepted and neutralized sixteen F-15s." Suddenly his HUD lit up red. WARNING! ENEMY TARGETING SYSTEM DETECTED!

"Colonel, I'm being painted!" "Roger." "Same here!"

He sighed. ENEMY MISSILE DETECTED! MISSILE WARNING! MISSILE WARNING! "AWACS, what's happening up here?"

"You have two squadrons intent on putting you down, sir! I read F-15s, bearing one-four-six from your position, range, thirty-six miles, using AIM-120As. Each aircraft has launched two missiles. Evade, now!"

"Ghosts, evasive maneuvers!"

He pushed down hard on the joystick, and his jet dropped like a rock. The F/A-22 Raptor was designed to be able to fly circles around most jets in existence. He had a good chance of getting out alive and unharmed. "**Shi**-!" someone screamed over the radio, but the way that the transmission was suddenly cut off did not bode well.

"Ghost Seven is hit! Ghost Seven is down, no 'chute!"

Again the AWACS spoke. "Missiles clear, and the enemy are having trouble locking on to you again."

"Ghosts, arm your AIM-120C-5s, let's show those bastards how it's done!"

"Enemy is now peeling off; range, fifty miles," AWACS reported grimly.

"It doesn't matter." Martin was angry. It was a terrible, cold anger, but someone had to make those mother fuckers pay for shooting down Jessica. "Locked on, missiles away!"

CRF Main HQ, Katsura's POV:

"-I repeat, enemy F-2s are leaving the airspace. We have only lost one M113 APC with seven infantry, and one of the M150 Anti-tank Vehicles. No crew members survived."

Katsura winced. If there was a division out there, then they needed to do the most damage they could and suffer as few casualties as possible. "Enemy casualties?"

"We shot down nine of the F-2s before they retreated, and…" the man paused, "Ghost Squadron is RTB to rearm and refuel. They left no survivors amongst the enemy. All forty-eight F-15s and all twelve bombers were destroyed. The enemy probing attack led by the Tank Company was stopped, casualties unknown but assumed to be extensive." Again, the man paused, hand held to the radio headset. "One of the Ghosts were shot down, I regret to inform."

Katsura sighed, but set firm his resolve. This was war and there were going to be casualties on all sides. "When will the other UCNA Aircraft arrive?"

"ETA seven minutes sir, but…"

Katsura decided that he did not like that 'but' at all. "But…?"

"The UCNA say that they have no idea where the current battle lines are, nor where the high priority targets are. Someone's going to have to mark them."

Katsura only had to think for a second. "Get Himura on the horn."

Kenshin Himura's POV:

"I have to _what_?" he yelped, and ducked reflexively as a bullet whined and snapped past his head. "Sir! It's a bloodbath out here, they are keeping us under heavy fire! Only our artillery and Saitô's helicopter are keeping us going."

"Grenade!" someone shouted, voice high with fear.

Kenshin ducked deeper into the hole, clutching his rifle to his side and the radio closer to his ear. The explosion roared into existence, raining shrapnel and debris over his position. "It's a suicide mission!"

"_Himura, you're the fastest man on base!_"

"I DON'T FUCKING CARE!" Kenshin roared back.

"Himura, heads up!" one of the MG240 7.62mm machine gunners shouted, and Kenshin stood without bothering to acknowledge the shouting voice on the radio. He saw them, then: a whole heavy weapons platoon charging the CRF lines. The next few minutes were a blur of combat: firing, reloading, aiming, and ducking when he felt that prick in his senses that meant someone was just about to take a shot at him. Further down the line, the soldiers under Shishio's employ actually reached the line, but they were beaten without any undue problems.

Kenshin picked up the radio. "Sir, it's pretty bad down here. They'll probably need me here. Why can't Saitô figure out a way to mark the enemy?"

"_He has no markers, you are the only on capable…just don't forget the infrared markers, understand?_"

"Ooh-rah!" Kenshin bitterly intoned, lost momentarily in the past when he had fought for America against equally bad odds. At least he had a sniper rifle back then, not an M4 Carbine. And at least his fellow Marines understood him. The CRF soldiers knew suffering, yes, but they didn't know him. "I'd better get covering fire!" he shouted angrily, and heard Sano snickering.

"_Don't worry, little buddy. Zanza's got Battôsai's back today!_"

Kenshin snorted. "Then I really am screwed!" he shot back, and turned the radio off before Sano could return the barb. _Dark one, I need your help. This is YOUR battle, not mine. You'll keep us all alive._ A deep and ominous chuckle rang within his head. _**You're damned right, I will!**_ Kenshin willingly gave up control, and watched as the world went dark.

Battôsai's POV:

He breathed in deeply, and smirked. Yes, this was his environment. This is what his blood craved. Blood, fire and death hung heavily in the air. The beautiful smell of sulphur in the air almost let him believe he were a demon in the depths of hell…but then the gunfire prickled his senses, and he awoke.

"Himura-san?" a young voice asked. "Are you…alright?"

He let his eyes snap open, and the young man, _**no, he's a BOY**_, jumped back in fright. This let Himura Battôsai know his eyes were a molten gold. He laughed, almost demonically in his joy to be back in this world of war, this realm of HELL that was battle. "Someone," he hissed, "someone get me the infra-red flares. I've got a job to do." Wordlessly the pack was handed to him, and he slipped it over his shoulders, and it rest there, its weight and bulk barely even noticeable.

He was just about to get up and move, but stopped. He growled in annoyance as he pulled the helmet off of his head, and tossed it carelessly aside. He pulled out the hair tie that bunched his hair low, at the base of his neck. Suddenly annoyed at how much Kenshin seemed to have wanted to remain indistinguishable on the battle field, he pulled out all the hair that was tucked into the back of his fatigue jacket. He quickly pulled his hair into a high ponytail, like the old Hitokiris used to.

Battôsai looked with distaste at the olive green color of Kenshin's fatigues, and wished very suddenly that he had black. He certainly wasn't going to try and hide anywhere. "_Kenshin, what the hell are you doing? The UCNA aircraft are four minutes out! They can hold a waiting pattern, but-_"

Battôsai picked up the radio. "Kenshin isn't talking right now," he laughed. "No, not at all. How do you feel, Katsura-_san_, knowing that you unleashed one of the few Dogs of War, _the_ Hitokiri Battôsai onto the battlefield?" He took an odd sense of pleasure at the pained gasp at the other end of the line. "Yes, just think of the slaughter that I will cause in the name of the CRF…in _your_ name, Katsura." He laughed again, and this one was undoubtedly the laugh of a demon.

Katsura Kogoro's POV:

He looked at the radio in horror, shocked at what calamity he just unleashed upon his enemy. "'Dogs of War?'" one of the radiomen asked, fear slightly coloring his voice. "What did he mean by that?"

"In Battôsai's view, most of the people alive are nothing but vermin. Vermin of Ruin, to be precise. It's a…caste system almost. At the bottom," he said as he slowly walked towards one of the large reinforced windows, looking down upon the battlefield below, "are the Wretches of Humanity. People that have been ruined be being human desires. Then come us, the Vermin of Ruin. Humans that are greedy for life, determined to survive, but never drawing too much attention to ourselves unless we have to. There are other levels, but second to last are the Dogs of War, brought to life in times such as these. I'm not even sure if they can be called human, but I think they were once men before war drove them to madness. They are those that have devoted their lives to combat, the ones who will go where the Winds of War carry them. They are amongst the most dangerous people ever to walk upon the face of Earth.

"Never has a woman walked amongst their ranks, for though women can be cruel and might revel in slaughter and chaos, they do not have the single-minded need to push themselves to be the best death bringers they can be." He paused, waiting for Battôsai to hop over the edge of the trench and begin his slaughter. "We are lucky enough to have four Dogs of War support our cause, though Battôsai is by far the worst, or maybe the best, depending on how you look at it, out of all of them. Sagara Sanosuke, once called Zanza. Saitô Hajime, the renowned Wolf of Mibu. Shinomori Aoshi, Okashira to one of the more extensive intelligence agencies is also amongst their number. He was once known as the 'One of Ice Who Commanded Water.'"

"What level is above them? I mean, who is held even above the Dogs of War?" one of Captain Daniels' men asked. "The Demons of Hell?" His tone suggested that he was half joking and half serious.

"No," Katsura smiled mirthlessly. "I'm surprised you didn't guess better. The title has many names. The Trainers of the Dogs, Mistresses of War, Holders of Damnation…" he trailed off. "But what they are meant to be called…well, they are the Goddesses of Life, for they hold sway over the Dogs, and anchor their rampages." One of the soldiers in the room gasped. Katsura smirked. "You guessed it. They are the lovers of the Dogs." He turned abruptly, and pointed to his two best guards. "You, retrieve Saitô Tokio, Makimachi Misao, Sagara Megumi, and Kamiya Kaoru and bring them safely here. They are more important to the four most dangerous men upon the base than all the treasure in the world. We _must _protect them!"

Hitokiri Battôsai's POV:

It started deep within him, soundless at first, though even at that stage it made the men near him grip their weapons tighter to themselves, though they knew not why. He held his own rifle loosely, but ready to be fired at any moment. He had taken off the green jacket, and tied it securely around his waist before putting the tactical vest back on over the black sleeveless t-shirt he wore. His sword was securely slipped through the web-gear belt, ready to be drawn at a moment's notice. Finally, he was ready.

"Zanza," he breathed almost erotically into the radio, and the men who heard him shivered uneasily. "Zanza, Battôsai has come to play, and you'd better work your role properly!" He released the talk button, and tucked the radio into its pouch on his vest. There was no reply. There wasn't one needed. "So it begins," he whispered, and the wood line that was his first destination surged forward as two companies worth of enemy soldiers ran forward. "Hold your fire!" he bellowed, and all obeyed. The thing that had been building within him finally set itself free. He flipped over the trench, and flew at the enemy, roaring as he charged…

Captain Sousuke Pak's POV:

He knew that the second he left the cover of the trees he would die. The treacherous vermin before him were too well dug in, and were well equipped. All that could said about his job was that he was supposed to wear down the enemy as much as possible so that when the General finally decided to launch the final attack, they would have an easier time of it.

However, he was not expecting the shout of "Hold your fire!" to come from any CRF throat. He hesitated, wondering what was happening when suddenly _**it**_ came hurtling out of the trench at him and his men. "OPEN FIRE!" he screamed, shout almost drowned out by _**its **_roar. He brought his own rifle up, and fired along with the two hundred forty other soldiers accompanying him on this suicide run.

His heart froze in fear when, impossibly, _nothing hit the demon_! Its form wavered and twisted in an inconceivable manner, but no round touched its flesh. Then it was upon them, firing its rifle so fast that the rifle reports sounded like on continuous roar. _That can't be! No M4 should fire that fast!_ The demon dropped its rifle, and the weapon hit the ground the same time that thirty of his men did, all sporting holes where their faces used to be. "KILL IT!" he screamed in far too shrill of a voice.

The demon drew its sword…and the world ended for Sousuke and his troops. Screams, horrified screams rent the battlefield as the demon danced among his men, slaughtering them like they were nothing but dolls. He was vaguely aware of the fact that he was still screaming for someone to kill it, for the loveof_godkillit__**beforeit**__**killsus**_! Suddenly _it_ was before him, and he had _it_ in his sights, and he was pulling the trigger as rapidly as he could, but his rifle did not comply, it simply _clicked_ at him! What kind of rifle _**clicked**_ when it was supposed to-

"Goodbye, good Captain," _it_ said in a sickeningly calm voice, and Sousuke was vaguely aware of pain-that-was-not-pain, and he was left wondering why his legs stood so far from the rest of his body, legs shouldn't do that, they…should……be………

Katsura Kogoro's POV:

He almost sickened himself in front of his men, and several others who watched fell prey to the temptation as Kenshin disappeared into the woods. He could hear them while it was happening…faint, for this room was sound resistant, but he could still hear them, the keening wails of men damned to die, and he would always remember, for it was he who caused their death. Kenshin…no, _Battôsai _was the instrument of their death, but he was the conductor who controlled his melodies of war.

Katsura slowly lowered the binoculars from his eyes, finally able to stop watching now that the slaughter was over. But he could still see the bright red smear that was the blood of a few hundred living men who were probably forced into this war…some of them might have been good men. He would never find out. And it was All. His. Fault.

Kaoru's POV:

She glanced hesitantly towards the fairly distant battlefield, and though she could not see anything of the fighting, she had not imagined the screaming that she had just heard. She reassuringly squeezed Kenji, and he hugged her back from the spot he occupied in her arms. All of them had heard the screams, and the fact that even the guards looked ill at ease though they were both hardened men...even they were nervous looking after hearing those cries of utter misery and fear.

They were walking past the 81mm Mortar positions when it happened. It was one of those things that happen during war that no one has any control over. An accident really. Kaoru wasn't even paying attention to it when it unfolded, except as background noise. "Arai, hand me that white phosphorous round, will you? We're sending it after this HE round." "Roger." "Be careful with those rounds, will you? I know you want to be the quickest gunners on the base, but-" "We know, we know. Round away!" "Koshi, keep that shell away from-!"

An explosion. Someone screaming, sounded like one of the other women, maybe Tokio. Kenji falling out of her arms as she was pushed by the force of the blast. Something spinning through the air…she looked up, and her eyes followed the mortar shell as it fell out of the sky and impacted with the ground. It exploded, and Kaoru knew nothing more than the brightest of white flashes burning into her eyes and burning pain, pain that seemed to burrow into her skin. She fell into empty darkness.

Hitokiri Battôsai's POV:

"-Battojutsu!" he finished as he both dug his heel into the ground to slow his charge and drew his sword at the same time. He hadn't wanted to waste a Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu technique on the vermin, but he had to be fast. Grabbing one of the flares, he snapped it on and threw it into the middle of the enemy munitions stockpile. It landed right on top, precisely where he had wanted it to go.

Again he was off, and presently the sound of diesel engines caught his interest. He veered towards the sound, and grinned when he saw what was causing the sound. It looked like a tank squadron was told to wait here. He activated another flare and tossed it into the middle of the decent sized clearing. The A-10s were going to have a field day there.

He was almost out of flares, and had already marked seven excellent places for destruction. It was time to return home. If the UCNA pilots didn't screw anything up, the General would have to call off the attack. Battôsai blinked, slowed down, and stopped in the middle of the wooded glen. The General of this attack…he _was_ an assassin, wasn't he? It would be very bad for the attacking Division to lose its HQ unit, wouldn't it?

A-10 Warthog Flight Lead, Major Adolph Grimm;

200ft above tree level, 600km/h, heading southwest:

He shuddered as he looked over the still wet looking smear of blood that adorned the ground in front of a rather intricate set of trenches. "Someone mark that on their map. That little bit of dead-end mountain pass is friendly territory. Anything south of it is enemy, copy?"

All of his flight responded positively. "Any SAM warnings?" Burns asked. Hammer Flight Nine. A good man. A better pilot.

"Negative. That AH-64 you see coming towards us has been taking out hot spots and feeding coordinates to the arty boys behind us. Skies are clear, but we don't know for how much longer. Split up, Hammers Two through Seven, you're with me. We have some high priority targets to take care of. Eight through Twelve, you have free reign. We don't know where the HQ is, but leave it alone if you do find it. It's probably got a lot of shoulder mounted SAMs protecting it at this point. Alright, people, we have a job to do."

His squadron of A-10s broke apart, and he went hunting. He spotted what looked like a munitions depot with a blinking light atop of it. He smirked as he armed his BLU-27/B Rockeye Cluster Bombs. Throttling up, he released the two bombs and peeled away, feeling the roar of the chain reaction explosion even in the armored body of his hog. It was going to be a good day.

Hitokiri Battôsai's POV:

He heard the explosions behind him, as well as intermittent periods of what sounded like dragons roaring but were probably the 30mm GAU-8/A Cannon that each of the Warthogs had in them. He sighed, closing out all other distractions so that he could concentrate at the task at hand. Four APCs sat in their camouflaged positions, extra antennas sprouting out of each vehicle. The Divisional Headquarters. Unfortunately a lot of troops were between him and his objective.

A sudden idea struck him. He pulled out his radio and retreated back far enough that he wouldn't be heard. "Katsura, this is Battôsai," he intoned quietly and clearly. It didn't hurt to take no chances. "I have located the enemy HQ, I think that the Spectre would like a piece of this one. The location is clearing one-zero-niner, alpha site, do you copy?"

"_Roger, but how do you know for sure?_"

"I can hear Widow Creek right now, and there is the sakura tree growing from the rock in the middle of the clearing. I say again, clearing one-zero-niner."

"_Roger, Banshee is en route. Stand by_."

Battôsai smirked. "Tell Colonel Laura Evens that I appreciate her help again, and that she can work with us anytime." He turned the radio off, and turned north, where great plumes of fire and smoke rose from the foliage. This battle was won, no doubt about it. Without an HQ, not to mention with a great deal of their tanks, ammo, and other supplies destroyed, the attack Shishio made upon them would fail, though Battôsai wouldn't be surprised if Shishio's forces tried to make one final push against the CRF base…but that was why the F/A-18s were holding their position, waiting for their turn of combat, be it against air targets or units on the ground. This battle was won. An explosion thudded into the ground behind him, followed by many more, as well as the screams of men caught in the barrage from the Banshee.

He started off, running lightly, planning to make it back, where he would hand over control to Kenshin once again. Still, he didn't mind sitting on the sidelines until the next battle. And it would come. There was no mistake about it. It would come. This battle was naught but the beginning of the end.

**AN: Okay, I posted this last night, but when I woke up this morning and read it after my morning run, I realized that there were too many mistakes for me too ignore, so this is the edited version of chapter nineteen. Sorry for any inconvenience.**


	20. D Day Minus One

**AN: I'm not very happy about this chapter, and not because of its content. The content is as I need it to be, and I think I did a pretty good job at it. It just seems poorly done in terms of composition, and that annoys me. You only meet three new people where in the last chapter you met like, what, five? Or was it six?**

**Well, anyway, here's some technical terms you will come across in this chapter, starting with the chapter title. D-Day Minus One is military talk for the day before a planned operation (designated D-day). The operation being referred to is Operation Nutcracker which is a joint operation between UCNA, ESF, and CRF forces all across the world. In other words, they plan to his the Shishio Imperialist Forces hard all across the map and sweep forward with the resulting confusion. Pretty smart, huh?**

**When you start reading the POV of the German guy, everything in italics is German, and for the most part you don't need a dictionary to understand, but for the parts that do I generally left enough clues thereafter in English to understand it.**

**The Marines. Ah, yes, the Marines. I plan to be one when I'm older, but we'll just have to see about that. Most of the terms are explained, but there are a few that might need to have some light shed upon them. Scuttlebutt means rumors, and sea stories are basically just bullshit stories and rumors. Starboard is right, port is left. As I write down the rest of the terms I'll explain them.**

**Anyways, please read, enjoy, and REVIEW as always. Warning; this chapter does get rather angsty. However, that is a part of war. It isn't all cake and candy...**

CHAPTER TWENTY

D-DAY MINUS ONE

"WHERE IS SHE?!" It was Kenshin's voice, deeper and darker than Kaoru was used to, that woke her from slumber. The first thing she noticed was that her chest, right leg, and left arm were swathed in bandages and that her room was pitch black, and the second thing she became aware of was the heated argument that sounded as though it were coming through several walls.

"Look, Ken-san, we can't let you see her! She's still too delicate, and if you pushed her too hard-!" So it was Megumi who Kenshin was arguing with.

"Six days, dammit!" Kenshin retorted angrily. "This war is being fought, and we have thrown back an entire corps of enemy soldiers! Three damned divisions we have pushed back, and yet you deny me the simple pleasure of _seeing_ her!"

"Ken-san, in those six days she hasn't awoken once. She struck her head upon the ground pretty heavily after the white phosphorous round detonated, and slipped into a coma. You have to be patient," Megumi said firmly.

"You can't even let me visit her bedside?" Now Kenshin's tone was oddly pleading, soft, and desperate. "I beg of you, please let me see her face once and I will be assuaged!"

"Once she comes to, I will let you. Meanwhile, you have your own injuries that you have to be worried about. You are one of the reasons that this base is still free from Shishio's rule. I know you haven't slept in four days, and after getting hit from the shrapnel of the cannon round, you need your rest. You aren't any use to this base if you collapse from exhaustion."

"I will rest once I see the one I love!" Kenshin snapped, his tone angry and resilient again.

"Ken…Ken…shin," Kaoru gasped, and was suddenly seized by an anger that stemmed from the fact that her voice was no louder than a whisper. She felt a tear run down her temple, and she resolutely tried again. "Ken…shin!" she gasped, and the voices in the other room faltered. "Kenshin!"

She heard a door nearly explode off its hinges from the force that was exerted upon it. "Kaoru!" Kenshin yelled, half jubilantly and half fearfully, his voice loud in its nearness, even while Megumi yelled at him telling him not to move like that because it was dangerous! But Kaoru was puzzled, for it was still pitch black, though she could _hear_ him moving. Did they have all the blinds shut in her room? Was it night right now? Yes, that was it. It was night and the base was undergoing yet another black out so that not even the emergency lights were on inside the hospital.

"Kenshin?" she asked, and realized that her voice warbled feebly. It sounded as though she was scared, but she wasn't…was she? "Could you please turn on the lights? Draw the curtains shut if you must, but I want to see your face."

There was a long and decidedly uncomfortable pause. "Kaoru, I…" Kenshin started and then paused, and Kaoru could almost sense the confusion rolling off of him in waves. There was a whisper of cloth, and Kaoru could almost see Kenshin turning away from her bedridden form. "Megumi, I…I don't know what to say," he almost whispered painfully, but Kaoru could still hear them. Since when did she hear this well?

"Kaoru-san," Megumi started brusquely, but Kaoru could sense the wavering in her voice. She seemed…frightened of something; anguished somehow. "Kaoru-san, when the white phosphorous mortar shell exploded near you it…" Megumi continued, but her voice sounded choked near the end. Was she crying? "Kaoru, I find this very hard to tell you, but the white phosphorous round damaged your eyes. Your rods and cones were permanently damaged to the point where you have been blinded. I'm afraid that you'll never be able to see again."

Kaoru's scream of fear and anguish was heard for many miles and those that heard it felt as though it were an ill omen laying out a dark and troubled future.

Konotop, Ukraine; roughly fifty miles from Shishio Imperialist Forces (SIF) held Russia; _Oberleutnant_ (OLt/1st Lt.) Heinkell Krieger, 1st Platoon, A Company, _Panzerbatallion_ 104 "_Pfreimd_", _Panzerbrigade_ 12 "_Amberg_", 10th _Panzerdivision_ "_Sigmaringen_", 10th ESF Field Army, German Detachment:

"_Hauptfeldwebel_ Schultz, make sure that your _Panzer_ _ist _ready for the battle!" Krieger ordered briskly, and his 'Head Sergeant' nodded before he ran over to his tank, which was a slightly older Leopard 2, but was still _eine gut Panzer_ and would serve well in the upcoming conflict.

Krieger was from an old family of soldiers, though he was, admittedly, the first to join as a _jünger Ofizier_ rather then a _Schütze_, an 'enlisted man' as _der Amerikaner_ would have said. This upcoming war was, in Krieger's opinion, just about the best thing to have happened to him and his people. To be allowed to participate in the largest conflict in history since _das Großtante Krieg_, the Great War, World War Two, whatever you wanted to call it, was an honor above all honors. Especially since they were allowed to fight on the 'right' side of the conflict, the side that would 'liberate' those countries that had been captured by the SIF.

Krieger really didn't care about liberating or being on the right side, he was just glad that he was being allowed to fight in this great conflict. "_Oberleutnant_ Krieger," someone said behind him, and he turned. Seeing his commanding officer _Oberstleutnant_ Hammel, Krieger snapped to attention. Hammel was, by the now non-existent NATO's standards, a Lieutenant Colonel, and Krieger held the man in high regards. "Krieger, I was just making _mein_ rounds, making sure that _mein Soldat_ were doing alright."

Krieger grinned, relaxing. "_Jawohl_, _mein Oberstleutnant_. I am more then well; I am greatly looking forward to the morrow when we move out. Those _kaiserlich schweinen _will feel the might of the _Sigmaringen Panzerdivision_, _unt_ we will be victorious, driving all the way to _Moskau_!"

Krieger saw Hammel smirk, and he felt a flare of pride in being _Deutsch_, something that the _dummkopf Amerikaner_ mistook as arrogance. He was confident in his abilities as the commander of his _Panzer_ group, and felt it deep in his bones: he and his platoon would be victorious in doing their duties.

Pacific Ocean, 32˚ North, 140˚ East, South of Izu Islands; 3rd UCNA Carrier Task Force; Staff Sergeant Dan Marvin, USMC, Scout/Sniper Team Sierra-Bravo-Seven, 1st Marine Division, 1st UCNA Liberation Force:

The carrier was quiet, something that rarely ever happened, Marvin noticed. No flights were out, and the next bomber flight would be heading out at 14:30 hours. So he had decided to head topside and get some PT done while he had the chance. Not that he really needed it. He was, after all, the best of the best. He could run three miles in seventeen-and-a-half minutes and could out swim some species of fish while loaded down with a twenty pound field pack. He had gotten perfect scores on the tests that would allow him to be a Scout/Sniper, and everyone who knew him knew that for a fact.

He was a thin motherfucker, all of his muscles hardened from constant training and not a spare ounce of fat on his body. Like most good snipers, he had a short neck and twenty/ten vision. He was able to still his own body almost to the point of death: low pulse, low breathing…it was almost as though he could will himself not to be.

Out of habit, he never washed himself with anything but unscented soap and never wore scented deodorant, nor did he use aftershave or cologne, even when Stateside. He worked very hard at remaining unnoticed, and even though he was only twenty-five, he was undoubtedly the meanest bastard on the ship.

Not the meanest in terms of being an asshole, mind you. He made sure that he was always polite and never referred to any of his enemies in anything but what they called themselves. In fact, most people who knew him refrained from using that sort of derogatory language while in his presence.

Nope, he was the meanest on ship because he could outshoot, outrun, and outlick any soldier that he had personally met. He was a black belt in Tae Kwon-do, and was designated a master at Judo while still in boot camp. While they were still at camp in the Philippines he was the NCOIC, the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge, but some men referred to him as the NCGIC, the Non-Commissioned _God_ in Charge, and that made Marvin smile when he first heard about it.

But those were times of the past, and Marvin didn't like boasting. He did not name himself the best because he was a vain character; he named himself the best because he _was_ the best. And he certainly did not make himself that good because he wanted to break any records; he simply felt it was necessary for him to be that good for the preservation of his country and his people.

Some men called him selfless. Marvin laughed at that. He was not selfless; he had plenty of desires and was at times quite selfish. He just had a strong sense of duty. Some men called him fearless. Marvin gave those men a pitying look. Every single time he went out into the field he was afraid, but he used that fear to his advantage, letting it keep him sharp. He never panicked, and that was what made him seem fearless.

"Sergeant!" a man shouted from behind him, making his voice heard over the strong and loud winds that rolled over the deck of the carrier. Marvin had been aware of the man when he had opened the hatch leading on to the flight deck. _Why did most men have to be so noisy? _Marvin wondered.

He turned, and saw his CO, Colonel Jackson, standing in neatly pressed BDUs. "Sergeant, it's time for you to infil. Report to the command room at thirteen-hundred hours for briefing."

Marvin checked his watch. It read 12:42 hours. So he had eighteen minutes. "Do I need to bring anything, sir?"

"Nope. All you need to bring is your brain, son."

Marvin nodded, snapped to, and saluted. "Semper fi, sir!"

"Semper fi, sergeant."

Elsewhere on the carrier, Lance Corporal Matthew Fenn, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division:

"Oi, Fenn!"

The young Lance Corporal looked up just in time to see a football flying towards his face. His hand reflexively snapped up and caught the projectile, and he glared over the top of it at his friend who was laughing. "Very funny, asshole!" he growled and chucked the ball back. Private Jackson neatly caught it, and smirked.

"Sorry, Corporal. You just seemed so engrossed in your operational manual that I had to interject." Suddenly the smirk ended. "Hey, Fenn, you heard the latest scuttlebutt?"

Fenn suddenly began paying attention. There were new rumors flying around? "What's up?"

"Well, I heard from a reliable source that B Company ain't going to be taking the starboard flank during the landing, we'll be going right down the middle."

Fenn just blinked and lay back down on his bunk, developing this information. If it were true, and it sounded more likely to happen than most of the sea stories Jackson brought back to the squad, then B Company would be hitting the hardest part of the beach, and they would be expected to take it sooner than either A or C Company so that reinforcements could immediately land and then support either flank.

He knew his men, and he knew the men of the other platoons of the company, and he knew that they could do what was ordered of them. Unfortunately he knew that a goodly number of them would probably die for it. He did not know if he would live, but regardless, tomorrow they would be going into battle, whether he wanted to or not. "Alright, Jackson. Check your gear and make sure everything is combat ready. Then check it again. Tell everyone in the squad that you meet to do the same. You got me?"

Jackson looked at him, and seemed almost to contemplate saying no to his order, but then stopped and nodded. "I got you, Corporal." As he left, Fenn looked back down to the book he had been reading. _Battle Drills and Tactics for the Rifle Platoon and Squad, Headquarters Department of the Marine Corps._ He would learn the job of the man above him, just in case.

CRF Main Base, MASH; Kaoru's POV:

The world crashed down around her. If what Megumi had said was true, then she would never see Kenshin face again…she would never…ever……

"You're lying," she whispered. "Stop joking around, it isn't funny." She brought her hands up, and tried to pierce the eternal darkness around her, trying to see her hands desperately. The darkness before her eyes had no depth, no sense of ending like one could sense while in a darkened room. "Turn on the lights!"

"Kaoru-dono," Kenshin's tone was disgustingly sympathetic, "Kaoru-dono, it is just after noon right now, that it is." A gasp, and Kaoru had to wonder if her loved one was crying. "Kaoru-dono, this one can perfectly see your face," he said in a voice that sounded increasingly choked up. Yup, definitely crying…or faking it.

Kaoru began grasping at straws. He had to be lying, he had to be! "Prove it!" She held up her hand in defiance. "How many fingers am I-?"

"Three, Kaoru-dono."

Frozen with shock and the beginning glimmers of fear, Kaoru slowly let her arm drop onto the bed she lay upon. "Why, Kami-sama, why must you do this to me?" A feeling of overwhelming despair overtook her, and for a moment she was lost. But then her naturally resilient spirit surged forth, and she remembered that she had not been alone when the mortar shell hit the ground. "Kenji-chan, what happened to him?! I remember him screaming! And everyone else? Did everyone else make it out okay?!"

There was a sigh, and it sounded like it came from Megumi. "Yes, surprisingly. As you know, I was still in the MASH treating soldiers when the accident happened, so I was safe. Tokio was shielded by one of the soldiers, who only suffered minor burns. Kenji only scraped his knee when he fell, and Misao was alright. In fact, she even found out she was pregnant when she came in and was checked out."

"So only the bad stuff happened to me, right?" Kaoru snapped, suddenly bitter. She realized that Kenshin hadn't come to her, hadn't come to hold her in his arms. He wasn't comforting her when she most needed it. Her hands clenched the blanket tightly, and she felt her knuckles creak in protest. She clenched her eyes tight, trying to force the tears away. _Why doesn't he come to me_? _Was I disfigured somehow_? Instantly the image of her face covered by bubbled scar tissue and deep dips caused by flame came unbidden to her mind and she almost threw up. She became suddenly afraid to touch her face. _I've become hideous, I know it_! _He doesn't want me anymore_! _I'm going to be alone and blind and ugly for the rest of my days_!

The despair, the overwhelming despair came fast and without warning, almost crushing her spirit in its might. A harsh sob broke from her, and yet still Kenshin did not come. After a few moments, she regained her composure. "And me…what injuries did I suffer?"

She heard Megumi draw in a deep breath. "You were closest to the round," she said calmly, and Kaoru could sense the turmoil within the female doctor even though she tried hard to maintain her professional distance. "You were blinded, obviously, but also fragments of the round hit your body. Luckily for you, most of it didn't burn you too deeply, nor did it penetrate your skin, meaning scarring will not be an issue in most of the places you were hit. However, there were three places that the white phosphorous burned you pretty badly. Your left arm, five centimeters below the elbow. It burnt through your skin to the ulna, but the skin will grow back and your bone wasn't overly damaged. It will heal. The second worst burn was seven centimeters below and to the outside of your leg. It burned all the way through, but as it was on the outside it didn't permanently damage your muscles, and after a week or two you should be walking."

Kaoru waited for the description of the last burn, but after a few minutes Megumi remained silent, and Kaoru could almost sense the tension in the air. "Megumi, you said there were three burns. Where is the last?" Kaoru asked, her voice surprisingly steady. She didn't feel very calm, in fact she felt like she was going to fall apart. A more analytical part of her mind was still functioning. Why didn't she feel the pain from the wounds?

"Kaoru. The last, and largest, of the shell fragments hit you in the chest." Kaoru felt her body seemingly freeze, a chill coming over her. "It burned you extensively and didn't burn out for several minutes. It burned deep into your right breast, two centimeters above your nipple. The burn itself is circular in nature, twenty-two millimeters at its widest, and it burnt four millimeters deep. You will always carry that scar. We've done tests, and it doesn't seem like that breast's ability to produce milk has been stopped, so if you ever have a child, you won't need to worry about that. We also made sure to remove all traces of the phosphorous itself. Right now we have you on severe pain meds, but we'll have to take you off of them soon." The lady doctor paused for a long while, and then shuffled. "I'll leave you two alone now. Do you need any help, Ken-san?"

"No, Megumi-dono, I'll be fine. Go to your husband. He misses you." The sound of someone walking, a door shutting. Sudden silence, thick enough to touch. A shifting of hospital clothes, but not made by Kaoru. "If only…" Kenshin started, his voice almost too loud in the oppressive silence. "If only you could see me, koishii. See what a wreck I am."

"Kenshin, what are you-?"

"I'm in a wheelchair, Kaoru. A lot of shrapnel from a heavy shell tore into my right leg, and I can hardly walk anymore. Everyone says that I'll be walking again in four or five days, since I've always healed well, but I don't know. Hopefully I'll be fighting again in a week. But look at us, Kaoru-koishii. You, blinded, and I feel as though it's my fault. Me, now little more then a cripple, unable to defend the ones I hold in high regard or the one I love from harm. I feel so useless right now it makes me sick!" he almost snarled, and Kaoru flinched.

"Kenshin," she whispered, "you aren't useless. If anyone is useless here it is me. You will be able to walk again, yet I will never see. All of my passions have been taken from me when that mortar shell hit the ground. How am I supposed to do anything that I love without the ability to see? I well never be good at kendo again…hell, I don't even know if I could fight at all anymore, and that had been one of my greatest achievements. In fact, it was one of my few accomplishments. And it is lost to me just as my sight is."

She listened as rubber slid against the wooden floor, the sound louder as Kenshin drew closer. She felt his hand against her face, and she leaned into the gesture, wishing with all her might that she could see again if only to see his face again. "Kaoru, why do you speak as though you have lost everything? We still have one another, don't we?"

"You mean..." Kaoru half sobbed and half gasped, "…you mean you won't leave me?" Kenshin took in a sharp breath, and Kaoru could feel through his hand how he stiffened. "If you plan on staying with me out of a sense of duty, please don't. I'd rather you be happy then suffer by my side." She said this far more bravely then she thought possible.

"Shut up!" Kenshin's voice was surprisingly bitter and harsh. "If you dare think that I would betray you by leaving you when you need me most, you've got another thing coming woman. I _love_ you, and I have _never_ taken love lightly. I will stay by your side and cherish you forever, no matter what happens!"

There was a creak of leather and metal as Kenshin pushed himself up out of his chair and onto her bed, where he wrapped her into a firm but gentle embrace, all the while murmuring how stupid she was to think that he would abandon her but that was okay, he loved her, and he would never leave her, nothing could remove her from his life now. As the strenuous activities of the day caught up with her, Kaoru fell asleep while nestled in Kenshin's arms, feeling safe and secure, even though her world had been so violently shifted…


	21. Operation Nutcracker

**AN: Woot! My longest chapter yet, and this is the first major multi-theater chapter I've ever written. Multi-theater means that heavy action is happening in very different parts of the world. I tried very hard to make the battles more realistic, please tell me what you think. Make sure to check out the glossary at the end of the chapter, and as always, Read, enjoy, and please REVIEW!**

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

OPERATION NUTCRACKER

15 August 2016; D-day: Operation Nutcracker;

Staff Sergeant Dan Marvin, USMC, Scout/Sniper Team Sierra-Bravo-Seven:

It was half-an-hour after midnight, but the time only occurred to Marvin as a small detail. No, he was far happier with the darkness than the time. The darkness was always more important than time; all he cared about time was for only two things: what time his mission was to take place and what time extraction was supposed to come.

He looked out over the water, blackened by the night, and tried to find the inner calm that would help with the mission. But, for the first time in a _long_ time, he felt jittery. It was one thing to take on Shishio Imperialist Forces military personnel, but quite another to go after the man himself. His stomach fluttered oddly.

Someone smacked his shoulder, and he looked back to see James Pak, ranked Corporal, a man of Korean descent, and Marvin's spotter. There was not a man in the world that Marvin trusted more. There was a strong bond between the two, there was. It was fairly common bond between a Scout/Sniper and his spotter. It had to be common, considering that Scout/Snipers generally went deep into enemy territory and took out high priority targets of the enemy infrastructure and gathered intel on enemy strengths in the Areas of Operation they worked in. "Pretty exciting, right?!" Pak shouted over the sound of the Seahawk engine and rotors as the large helicopter brought them ever closer to their drop-off.

"Yeah!" Marvin shouted back, shifting in his seat, his ghillie suit rustling around him. If someone saw him walking through the streets of any city within the United States…no, the United _Countries_, he probably would have been laughed at and humiliated. But put him in any kind of field and he could disappear, nearly impossible for anyone to find.

Going back to what Pak had said, it really was exciting. Their job was to land about ten klicks behind enemy lines, and then hump it cross-country to the planned beachhead, where they would get to the nearest unoccupied high ground and then provide sniper support as well as coordinates for the offshore batteries. Marvin had never seen any battleship shells incoming and exploding, and the prospect filled him with an interesting level of anticipation.

"_We are now crossing into enemy airspace, hugging the ground_," one of the pilots said over the radio, and Marvin's stomach lurched as the 'copter lost altitude rapidly. Soon they would be barely ten meters above tree level, hopefully under most forms of radar detection sites. The Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk, basically the naval brother of the Army's UH-60 Blackhawk, had no defenses or weapons besides two M60 machine guns. If they were detected and intercepted, they would undoubtedly be shot down and killed. "_We will be at the LZ in one-zero mikes_! _Get ready boys, I don't want to draw too much attention to us_."

"Ooh-rah!" Marvin barked back, and stood from his seat, grasping one of the overhead handles as he reached for his rifle and field pack. This was going to get fun…

Aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65), twenty miles off the coast of Japan (off Shizuoka), 01:30 hours (Japanese time); Lance Corporal Matthew Fenn's POV:

He couldn't sleep. He was too nervous, too worried about what was going to happen at oh-seven-hundred hours this day. At seven o'clock (_civilian time_, the young Marine thought with an air of haughtiness and disdain) in the morning, they would be going ashore, invading a presumably entirely hostile environment. In just a few hours they would be boarding their AAV7A1 (Landing Vehicle, Tracked, Personnel Carrier) and they would leave the Enterprise at oh-five-hundred.

He looked over the squad he had been assigned to, and realized that a good number of them might be dead by evening the next day. His stomach roiled, and he only just made it to the head before he threw-up explosively. _God_!_ What the hell is wrong with me_?! _I_'_m a MARINE, fer gossakes_!_ I've been through enough training that this shouldn't be a problem_, _but it is_! Groaning at the nasty aftertaste of the vomit as well as the feeling of just having lost his entire dinner, he rested his head against the cool steel of the bulkhead.

"Corporal?" someone asked quietly, and Fenn started as he turned around to face the man. It was his sergeant.

"Sergeant!" Fenn snapped sharply, standing at attention, the movement so ingrained in him that he didn't pause to think that he didn't have to, especially not while in a pair of boxers and an undershirt. "I apologize if I woke you up, but…"

"It's alright, Fenn. I understand. It's your first battle; of course you're going to be nervous. I was nervous my first battle as well, even if that might seem impossible to you."

Fenn knew what he meant. Sergeant Finch was at least forty, and just seemed as though he had always been that tough sergeant that he always acted like. "When was your first operation, sergeant?" he asked, and then caught himself. "That is…if you don't mind telling, sergeant."

Finch just laughed lightly. "Well, if you _must_ know," he gently joshed his corporal, "it was during Operation Desert Storm. I was only a Private back then and a freshly green Marine at the age of eighteen. To tell you the truth, that was a cakewalk. I don't know if you're old enough to remember North America when it wasn't in turmoil, but back in the eighties and nineties, well, that seemed to be the prime of American existence."

"Yes, Sergeant. I was born in '98. Two years after Shishio launched his damned biological attack, right? I remember it seeming like the world was falling apart."

"Yeah, well, things weren't so damn peachy before that. The Marines were being sent all over the world to all these little hot-spots that seemed to rise up after the collapse of the Soviet Union. I wasn't even home when the virus hit stateside." The sergeant's voice turned bitter. "I wasn't home to see my little girl and my wife waste away just because some Jap bastard was bitter over what his damned government had done to him. For that, I can never forgive Shishio. If he had simply kept at home, I wouldn't have minded so bad. But he just had to piss with the United States…" Finch snapped, then visibly tensed. "I meant the United _Countries_ of North America. But yeah, Shishio will pay. If I die, then I want you to make sure he dies, you understand me, Fenn?"

Fenn was awed by the spirit and feeling that his Sergeant obviously felt coursing through him, and he felt rejuvenated. When he headed to his cot some five minutes later, he had no problems falling asleep.

CRF Main Base, Himura Quarters, 02:27 hours; Himura Kenji's POV:

He smiled as he snuggled deeper into _his_ bed. It seemed like forever since he had the chance to be this comfortable, what with all the noise and the commotion that had been happening lately. He thought that the fireworks in the sky were amazing, but the ones that hit the ground he did not like at all. He hated them!

The ground fireworks took Kaoru-kaasan from him and his otousan. Ground fireworks also hurt his daddy as well. He missed them, but Aunt Megumi and Uncle Sano were taking good care of him in their place. He knew that it was his duty (his eyes started sparkling with a fierce and childish devotion at the word duty, though Kenji didn't realize it, nor did he know just how cute it made him look) to wait for otousan and the one he almost viewed as okaasan.

Kenji sighed, and turned again, suddenly not so comfortable. He missed otousan so badly that it actually hurt. When was the last time that he actually spent a good amount of time with his otousan? It seemed hard to remember a time when otousan's relaxing presence was a given thing…certainly before they had to leave their house.

The sound of the front door opening caught his interest, and Kenji sat up straight in his bed, almost quivering with excited anticipation. Someone turned on the lights to the house, and the bright flare of light barely phased Kenji. "Otousan!" he squealed happily, and jumped out of bed. Before he had taken even five steps, however, he stopped, and looked at otousan and Kaoru-kaasan. Both of them were in chairs with wheels, and otousan's leg was covered in bright white bandages. Kaoru-kaasan…she seemed to have bandages all over her and…what was wrong with her eyes? Why didn't she look at him? Did she not like him anymore? Is this what he got for stealing one of her pickles at dinner time? He felt his throat tighten up and burning in his eyes.

Kenshin's POV:

He smiled tightly through the pain as he saw his son's bright face, but his smile faded quickly as the joy left his son's face. Kenji had started running towards them the moment they had first entered the small house, but now he had stopped. Why did he stop?

Suddenly noticing the look of pain and horror on his son's face, Kenshin felt ashamed. He started to speak, but stopped when he noticed his son's gaze locking on to Kaoru. Tears started to well up at the corners of Kenji's eyes, and Kenshin understood in a flash. Kenji had seen him wounded before. But Kaoru? Never had the little one ever seen her injured to this degree.

"Kaoru, hold out your arms, Kenji is here." Kaoru turned her head towards him, her now oddly blank eyes not searching for his face but instead looking off into nothingness. When she smiled lightly, Kenshin turned towards his son. "Kenji. Kaoru and I have missed you while we were at the hospital. Why don't you give Kaoru-dono a hug? Be careful though, she was hurt."

As Kaoru held out her arms and leaned forward in her chair, Kenshin couldn't help but feel lighter about the heart as Kenji's face lit up like an American Christmas tree and ran forward before clambering onto Kaoru's chair and into her arms. His smile fell slightly at the wave of pain that crossed Kaoru's face as Kenji settled into her embrace, but she hid it well, and obviously wasn't going to say anything about it.

"Kaoru, Kenji, what would I ever do without you?" Kenshin whispered before sitting up straight in his chair. "Alright, lady and gentleman, I do believe that it is very late and that we should go to bed. This one is tired, and I think very fondly of bed. Come let's get some rest." As Kaoru slowly stood and had Kenji lead her to her bed, Kenshin looked out the window, knowing that one of the single largest military operations was about to be launched. Shaking his head at the thought, he closed the curtains, and made his way to bed.

15 August 2016; D-day, H-hour, M-minute, Operation Nutcracker;

Eastern border of Ukraine;

24:00 hundred hours (Midnight) local time, 05:00 hours Tokyo time;

Lieutenant Duncan Lyle, C Company, 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland;

European States of Freedom Military Coalition (ESFMC), First Army:

"Alrigh', ya Kraut bastard!" Lyle shouted, half seriously and half jokingly. He was addressing a first lieutenant named Heinkell Krieger, and had met the man previously. He was a good one, him. Though it was a bit odd to realize that if they went back seventy years or so they might have been on opposite sides. "We're takin' oor troops oot on thae lang attack! It's time t'get back at these Jap bastards, righ'?" The Scottish lieutenant braced himself as his Warrior Mechanised Combat Vehicle lurched forward. The Warrior APC was similar to the old US Bradley, but Lyle had to admit that he preferred the Warrior.

"_Meinen_ friend, I did not unterstand a single vord you haf spoken," Heinkell grinned back from the commander's seat on his Leopard 2. The young German commander said something else, but the roar of artillery firing behind them drowned out his words.

"Wha'?" Lyle roared back, but then waved the younger man away. "Ne'er mind, I would'nae hae understood ye anyway!" He held his radio close to his mouth. "All units! FORWARRRD!"

Shizuoka Beachhead, 05:12 hours; Lance Corporal Matthew Fenn, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division:

He gripped his M16A2 tighter to his chest and tried to concentrate on what his sergeant was saying. The steady roar of the AAV7A1 drowned out nearly everything, and what the diesel engines didn't cover over with noise, the firing of the AAV's turret did. Though, the sound of the .50 cal firing was reassuring, as was the sound of the 40mm automatic grenade launcher.

"-so I want you men to run your sorry asses off the second that ramp drops! We have no idea just how determined our enemy is! Just be glad they won't be able to fire into the APC like they could in World War Two!"

Deafening pings suddenly rang through the vehicle, and Fenn flinched. They were being shot at! He remembered, rather nauseously at that, that the AAV only had forty-five millimeters of aluminum armor at its thickest. That really wasn't much…

The next thing Fenn knew, he was laying on the deck of the AAV, nose bleeding. "What the-?!"

Sergeant Finch was suddenly in his face, shouting at him and heaving him to his feet. "We're okay, son! We just suffered a near miss from some coastal artillery, nothing to worry about!"

_Nothing to worry about?! What the hell is he smoking!?_ Fenn tried to regain his balance, but the AAV still swayed from the aftereffects of the 'near miss'. Just as he managed to truly gain his footing, the AAV lurched forward and wasn't being influenced by the ocean currents.

"Alright boys! Here we go!" Sergeant Finn shouted in the dark confines of the AAV. Fenn was acutely aware of the smell of fear and sweat from the other young Marines jam-packed around him. There was a whirring, and the ramp dropped, showing nothing but white smoke. Fenn was aware on some other level that the smoke covered the approach of the other AAV's behind them, but right now he had to get out of the craft, or else-

"GODDAMMIT FENN!" "Movemovemove!" "Get out of the damn AAV!" Harsh breathing, leaping forward, seeming unrestrained by his light combat pack. "You dirty sonsabitches better not hit the deck-" "Fuck, O'Hara's down-!" "KEEP MOVING!" The whining of bullets and the explosions of sand being hit by small arms fire as well as heavier ammo. "Fuck, I don't see third platoon, where is second-?!" "Don't get bogged down, keep-!" "Make for the seawall, it's our only-!" A line of white-hot light ripping into the ground before him, kicking the sand up in what seemed to be an impenetrable wall. "My arm! Has anybody seen my-?!" "We've already lost four men, where is the rest of B Company-?!" "I can't do this, somebodygetmehome, Ican'ttakeit!" The city of Shizuoka ahead of them, all the buildings seeming to fire at him. His feet, pounding the sand; his lungs, screaming for air. "Follow Fenn! He's got the idea! Move-!" "Where's Jackson, he was just right here-!" "He's still at the AAV, helping the wounded-!"

Impact. Fenn coughed out with a great big whoosh of exhaled air as his chest finally made contact with the seawall, maybe the only moderately safe place on the beach. Footsteps coming from the beach. He turned, saw fire. The AAV was burning. Didn't someone say Jackson was near there? Concentrated on the footsteps, saw the man they belonged to. Finch. He was okay. "You did a good goddamned job there, corporal!" Finch shouted as he approached. "I'll line you up for a medal if we get out of-" and suddenly the upper half of Finch just wasn't _there_ anymore. Fenn shouted in shock as the abdomen and legs of what had been his consoling sarge not four hours ago dropped to the deck and slid a few more feet, sand soaking up massive amounts of blood that seemed to pour from Finch's body like a river.

"Christ!"

Shizuoka Beachhead, 05:19 hours;

Staff Sergeant Dan Marvin, USMC, Scout/Sniper Team Sierra-Bravo-Seven:

He did not so anything aloud, but he did not have to. He was no stranger to war, but the scene in front of him still sickened him. Blinking in order to clear his mind, he pulled his M40A1 bolt-action sniper rifle close, and took the view of his 10X Leupold scope off of the Marine squad that was getting cut to ribbons.

He was on a grassy hill that overlooked the beachhead, and had enough height to see into the SIF defenses. Both he and Pak had cut a good amount of grass and weaved it into their ghillie suits, and were now invisible to the untrained eye. As long as they didn't move too much, they were impossible to find, unless someone used infrared technology to find their body heat signatures.

"Those three pillboxes are the ones that are particularly cutting up those boys," he said quietly, gently. "Pak, I want you to get our own batteries to fire upon them. The Marines _have_ to establish a beachhead or else all will fail."

"Roger, Dan." Pak picked up his radio, and turned it on, the frequency already set to the planned station for the invading forces. "Fire mission, fire mission, this is Sierra-Bravo-Seven, we need hotel echo at one-niner-alpha…"

3rd UCNA Carrier Task Force, USS Wisconsin:

"Fire mission!" the call repeated. Slowly the massive turrets, all three of them, turned to port. "'Bout goddamned time they called for our help!" someone else half snapped, half laughed. There was already an Unmanned Arial Vehicle in the air above the beach, and the central gunnery control station crew had been watching the first wave of Marines effectively get slaughtered. Now it was the US Navy's turn to play.

The enemy positions were designated, their precise location showing up on a digital map. Distance, air density, barometric pressure, relative humidity, wind direction and speed…all these and more factors were put into the firing computer, and the last final adjustments were made for the long, sixteen-inch rifles. The center gun on the number two turret fired, and radar tracked the round, taking the new readings as the accepted firing data. Before the first round hit the enemy positions, all eight remaining guns made their final adjustments and fired simultaneously, while the USS Missouri began engaging the enemy artillery pieces trying to sink the larger landing craft…

Shishio Imperialist Forces Pillbox; overlooking Shizuoka beach, Corporal Kasuke Urameki's POV:

He stood by, waiting for the order to fetch more ammo, not really paying attention to the battle unfolding less then two hundred meters away. He was looking out to sea, where friendly artillery was trying to bracket enemy landing craft. It was bad enough that the first units had landed, but the enemy landing craft were relatively close together and easy to hit. He wasn't worried. They would repel the enemy forces and he could go home until the next enemy attack.

Bright lights caught his attention and he looked farther out to sea where the truly large ships were. One of them seemed to have been caught by a massive explosion…wait, two of the ships seemed to be hit. What was going on? None of their own guns were firing that far out yet…

A sudden roar sounded, and Urameki was reminded of the loud sound of a freight train, only these passed overhead. What was…? And then, understanding. The answer to all his questions answered in a blink of an eye. "Fuck!" he shouted, voice hoarse. "We have to get out of here! Those are _battleships out there_!"

The moment he stopped shouting, the ground underneath his feet shuddered, and he felt himself get lifted from the force of the surge, and there was an explosion of light and noise. Darkness seemed to envelop the sky, and he looked out the rear door, shock coursing through his veins like flaming ice. Curtains of smoke and fire blocked his view of the outskirts of the city, and what had been his ammo dump had simply disappeared. It had received a direct hit. "Kami-sama, what do we do now?"

USS Wisconsin:

"Drop fifty meters and fire for effect. Let's clear those beaches, boys!"

Already the guns were going through their thirty-second reload cycle. Inert gas ejected scraps of the silk gunpowder bags out the muzzles to clear the bores, then the breeches opened and loading ramps unfolded into place. Elevators from the handling rooms rose to the back edge of the ramps and the 2,700 pound shells were rammed into the waiting gun barrels. Heavy powder bags, four for each gun, were dropped onto the ramps and were then rammed behind the shells. The ramp came up, the breeches sealed hydraulically, and the guns elevated. The turret crews moved out of the loading compartments and held their hands over their earmuff-style ear-protectors. In the fire-control room fingers depressed the keys and the breeches surged backwards once more. The cycle began again, and teenage seamen performing the same tasks their great-grandfathers had done seventy years before them.

Aboard the destroyer USS Spruance (DDG-111), 3rd UCNA Carrier Task Force

Captain John Foss's POV:

_Damned battleships want to take all the glory. Well, the destroyers will show them! _"Is the forward gun battery prepared?" he asked tersely, referring to the five-inch long-barrel gun that his ship sported. He could have used cruise missiles, but those were meant for inland targets, not the beachhead.

"Aye, aye, sir!"

"Target the city, fire upon all buildings showing enemy activity."

"Aye, aye, sir!"

Mere moments later, the gun turret turned and aimed for the city. Looking out over the fleet, Foss noted the fact that the three other destroyers (the USS Jason Dunham, the USS Gravely, and the USS Wayne E. Meyer) were doing the same. The two Aegis cruisers stood by the battleships, prepared to repel any air attack. That wasn't likely, as all twenty-four fighters and the thirty-four attack aircraft from the carrier were attacking nearby airfields, and another fleet was tying up the only functional SIF fleet that was even remotely near them.

His ship's five-inch gun opened up, and would not stop firing for a full minute, the time it took for it to use up all the ammo in its automatic loader, which held twenty rounds. Eighty shells were going to be fired at the city, and even now he could see the distant explosions rocking the city, blotting out enemy gun positions with angry black puffs of smoke, fire, and debris…

Corporal Fenn's POV:

He peeked over the edge of the seawall, and gaped in amazement. The three pillboxes that had been pounding his position simply didn't exist anymore, and the city itself was being hit with heavy artillery fire. He had never seen anything like it before. Fire and smoke made it almost impossible to see very far beyond the outer limits of the city, and the enemy fire coming their way was severely limited. The SIF had bigger problems on their hands.

He slid back, and looked over the twenty-three men who were now looking to him for leadership. Lieutenant Clancy and Sergeant Thomson were killed instantly when the command AAV was hit, and most of the sergeants were either dead or wounded and unable to continue. He and these twenty-three men were all that remained of the platoon of over forty men. He didn't even know where the hell the rest of B Company was…hell, he didn't even know if he was in the right position anymore.

"Corporal, what the hell do we do now?" a young private asked. The kid didn't even look like he had ever shaved, and he had acne. Fenn was reminded acutely that he himself was only eighteen. How the hell was he supposed to fucking know what to do?

Oh, wait. He read that field manual. _Okay, I'm supposed to look for a defilade, and then move up my squad and have two squads on the flanks, with one squad in reserve and…and…what the hell!_ He glanced over the seawall again. _There ain't no fucking defilade, and there is NO cover for flanking squads. Fuck that fucking manual!_

"Jackson…" he started, and then stopped. Jackson was MIA. "Fuck. I need five riflemen and two machine gunners on me. Whoever is left from the fourth and fifth squads, you get up and run your sorry asses to one of the pillboxes and take cover there. Everyone else, lay down suppressive fire. Shoot anything that moves that ain't American, you get me?!" Looking over the men, he realized that though they looked tired and scared, they had a new air of relief about them. _They are depending on me_. "Semper fi!" he shouted.

"**DO OR DIE**!" the men screamed back, and two-thirds of the men lunged over the seawall, running towards a fate unknown to them.

Twenty kilometers southwest of Kursk; 04:23 hours; _Oberleutnant_ (OLt/1st Lt.) Heinkell Krieger, 1st Platoon, A Company, _Panzerbatallion_ 104 "_Pfreimd_", _Panzerbrigade_ 12 "_Amberg_", 10th _Panzerdivision_ "_Sigmaringen_", 10th ESF Field Army, German Detachment:

"_Feuer_!" he shouted, and his Leopard 2's 120mm smoothbore cannon fired with a roar, the tank jerking back with the force of the shot. Nearly seven hundred meters away, an enemy T62 was destroyed, and two more of the SIF tanks were demolished before the enemy lines crumbled.

Krieger slumped back in his commander's seat, and wearily dragged his hand over his face. "_Feldwebel_ Schultz, how many did we lose?"

"We lost _der panzers_ two _unt_ five out of our platoon, _Oberleutnant_. _Der englisch_ forces are also pushing forward at an astonishing rate, and _die Franzosen_ are only hampered slightly by enemy attacks."

Krieger nodded. So, he lost two tanks out of five. He could still continue on, but the men who had manned the lost tanks would be missed. They were all good men, and could be called his friends. Many a time he had been invited to dinner by a good number of the men under his command. He shook his head. Now was not the time to be showing weakness, no matter how desirable that weakness was. "Ask headquarters _unt_ see if we can't get two _Panzers_ to replace what _wir_ lost, _ja_?"

The good sergeant nodded sharply, as he always did. "_Jawohl_, _Oberleutnant _Krieger!"

As Schultz keyed his radio, Krieger turned away from him and cranked open the hatch to his Leopard's box-like turret. "Anyone else who has to take _eine_ leak, you had better do it now."

He yawned and stretched as he pulled himself out of the tank. His _panzer_ and his crew had been on the attack for four straight hours, and he knew it was going to get worse. It always did.

It was nice that they were finally attacking the _Schuft _Shishio Imperialist _schweinen_, but at what cost? How many _gut_ men would be lost before the end? Krieger knew that the ESF Field Army's overall mission was to keep SIF units from pulling back and assisting _ihr_ besieged brothers in Japan. Either that or they were to push _unt_ push _unt_ push until they had driven the SIF forces all the way out of Europe _unt _then Asia.

An overall impossibility if _sie_ 10th was all by itself, but there was _der_ 20th Guards Combined Arms Army that was all that was left of _der_ renowned Russian military besides _der_ 16th Air Army out of _Moskau_ (Krieger shuddered at the thought of actually working _with_ the _Russe_ military, there was just something wrong with that) that was finally counterattacking to the north, with _Moskau_ as its base of attack.

Krieger, being a good _Deutsche_, was appalled at the idea that _sie_ _Deutschland_ government as well as _die Franzosen_, _der englisch_, _unt sie amerikanisch_ were given those _Russe hunden_ military equipment at next to no charge. Folly! He did not care if it was in opposition to a 'common enemy' that was _gut Deutsch_ equipment being handed out to an ancient enemy as though it were nothing but candy!

He had also heard that the United Muslim Alliance was supplying a total of half of the whole Allied operation's oil, including those poor _Amerikaner_ bastards directly attacking Japan. Krieger snorted as he undid his fly. As long as his tank ran, it didn't matter overmuch to him. Let _der_ political ramifications be handled be _sie_ government.

Shaking those thoughts out of his head, Krieger hopped off his tank and headed for a small stand of trees somehow still standing despite _sie_ fierce battle that had only just raged through here. A high-pitched whining was all the warning Krieger had before the world around him degraded into pure chaos.

Of course, watching all of those _Amerikaner_ war movies told the young _Oberleutnant_ exactly what was happening. Of course, hearing artillery in _der_ comforts of one's home was vastly different then when artillery thundered down upon your position in the fields, especially whilst standing fully exposed.

"_Scheiße_!" Krieger screamed as the first twenty shells exploded all around him. The roar was deafening, but there came an even louder roar as well as an orange flare of light that overcame the dirt and smoke thrown up by the artillery, and even as Krieger dove for a crater dug by artillery from the previous engagement, he looked up, and a chill overwhelmed him as he saw his company commander's _panzer_ evaporate from a direct hit. After all, the standard shell for an artillery piece was 155mm, a full thirty millimeters larger then the gun on his tank.

_What was that Amerikaner phrase? Ah, ja, ich remember now: 'Hell from heaven.'_ Deciding that his _panzer_ was at least slightly safer then an open hole in the ground, he leapt up and sprinted for his Leopard, suddenly aware of how _der_ air screamed _unt_ whistled from _sie_ thousands of red-hot fragments now flying through the air. He had somehow managed to jump onto the main body of his _panzer_ with only one bound, but even as he was scrambling for his still open turret hatch, a sudden feeling a white hot pain lanced through his arm and he fell gracelessly through the small opening.

Shizuoka Beachhead, 05:12 hours; Lance Corporal Matthew Fenn, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division:

_Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!_ Fenn's mind screamed at him as he ran faster than he thought humanly possible, especially when loaded down with combat gear. Another wave of offshore artillery roared over his head and thundered into Shizuoka, but Fenn knew that it was impossible for the artillery to get much closer than it was. No one wanted any friendly casualties.

A wave of tracers suddenly sprang from a hidden pillbox and thudded into the sand around him. He brought his rifle up and fired a few shots, even though he _knew_ that he had no chance of actually hitting anything at this range and at the speed he was going. He could only haul ass and hope-!

He was down, screaming in pain. A hammer had hit him in the upper thigh and had dropped him, fire coursing through his veins as the pain rolled through him in increasingly excruciating waves. Seeing his only corpsman heading his way, he waved the medic off and forced himself to his feet. He _had _to get him and his men to the first trench line.

The world was still exploding in light and sound around him, but something inside him snapped. No pain came through to him. His leg still worked fine, it almost was like it hadn't been wounded at all. He wasn't scared anymore. He was calm, cool. Nothing was going to bother him now.

He dropped to his knee and took careful aim at the pillbox that he could now see. Spotting movement, he adjusted his aim ever so slightly and caressed the trigger to his M16A2, feeling the trigger break cleanly, sending the firing pin into the waiting shell. With that weird pinging crack that was solely the M16's shot report, his rifle jerked slightly, and his now adrenaline enhanced eyesight saw the smallest of red sprays in the darkened interior of the pillbox. A hit. Turning back to the eleven men that remained of the original sixteen that had gone over the berm with him, he waved forward. "Move, ya sorry sacks a' shit!"

He stood again and charged the trench, which seemed oddly empty. "Laney, I want you and your MG on me, now!" he shouted, and the young machine gunner was almost instantly by his side. They reached the trench, and Fenn immediately saw why the trenches appeared empty, why no fire had been coming from them. The troops in them were taking cover, no doubt worried about the naval artillery now pounding the city. He also saw tell-tale signs of a sniper: deep sucking chest wounds and imploded heads.

Almost instantly after noting these things, Fenn scanned for rank. He spotted a captain with a lieutenant next to him. He unleashed a three round burst, catching the captain in the chest before the man even had a chance to reach for a weapon. "_Kōsan suru_!" he roared at the lieutenant, who had dumbly wiped his captain's blood off of his face, shocked at the redness of it.

"_Iie_!" a sergeant yelled, but he and anyone else who reached for a weapon was cut down by Laney's LMG, the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon ripping loudly over even the noise of the ongoing artillery.

"_Kōsan suru_!" Fenn shouted again, and the lieutenant shouted something in Japanese. At the lieutenant's words, most of the soldiers looked shocked and angry, but all of them put their hands atop their heads. Fenn turned back to the rest of his squad still waiting. "Get your asses up here, and call for the rest of the squad! Reestablish contact with the other Marines, and tell command that we've captured the first line of trenches at position Alpha."

Ten minutes later, a depleted company of US Marines successfully secured a length of beachhead only two hundred yards across. Regardless, word was sent back to the carrier: forty-three captives, secured by Corporal Fenn. Secure beachhead established, send more troops. A radio transmission was sent to the entire world. Operation Nutcracker was a success. Advances had been claimed across all fronts.

**Glossary:**

**The Scottsman: It's okay if you don't understand this guy. I didn't understand half of what he said, and I'm the one who was writing his lines...**

**German-**

**Meinen: Mine...Feuer: Fire...Feldwebel: Sergeant...Oberleutnant: 1st Lieutenant...Der, die, sie: all mean 'the', but Sie can also mean 'you'...unt: and...Panzer: tank...Englisch: English...Franzosen: French...Amerikan(isch): American(s)...Wir: we...Ja, jawohl: yes...eine: a...Schuft: bastard...schweinen: pig...hunden: dog(s)...Scheiße: shit...gut (when in italics): good...Moskau: Moscow...Russe: Russian...Deutsche: German person...Deutschland: German and/or Germany...Deutsch: German...ich: I**

**Japanese:**

**Kōsan suru: Surrender (yield)**

**If you were confused by any of the vehicle names, I would suggest looking them up on the internet because the 'net would be able to explain better then I could right now. I'm too tired to do any in depth analysis. Hope you enjoyed!**


	22. Foothold

**AN- So sorry this took so long to get up. My life has gotten particularly busy, and with so few reviews coming in I got rather disheartened. Oh well, here's the next chapter. As a warning, this chapter does have a lemon in it...in fact, it basically IS a lemon until you switch scenes. If you are underage, please don't read the lemon. Thanks. Alright, I thank the few people who reviewed the last handful of chapters, and I look forward to seeing your output here.**

**Read, Enjoy, and Review!**

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

FOOTHOLD

Kaoru was sobbing. Instantly, Kenshin was awake and on his feet, but his wounded leg collapsed under the sudden movement, unable to bear his weight yet. _Baka leg_,_ why do you have to fail me_?! He forced himself off of the ground and more carefully made his way to Kaoru's cot. It had annoyed him that Kaoru chose to sleep in the cot rather than with him, but he had reminded himself that she was still recovering from the psychological wound inflicted by her blindness. If he had known how wrong he was, Kenshin would have made sure to have brought Kaoru over to his bed hours ago.

"Kaoru-koishii!" he groaned, mainly from the pain that his leg was causing him. Finally reaching her bed, he collapsed gracelessly on top of it, also falling partly over Kaoru. Grasping her shoulders, he shook her, trying to wake her up. "Kaoru-koishii, wake up! It's just a dream!"

Kaoru came to with a great gasping sob. She thrashed wildly for a few seconds before finally calming down a little. She was still sobbing, and her chest heaved with the huge breaths of air she sucked in. Kenshin pulled her to his chest, murmuring softly, trying to calm her down. He was not expecting her to shove him away, though.

"Don't touch me!" she hissed bitterly. "You don't want me, you liar! I don't want you near me!"

Kenshin drew back in shock, stung at the venom in her words. "Wha-? Kaoru, what are you talking about?" He hesitantly reached out and touched her shoulder, only to have her slap his hand away with uncanny precision. _Maybe she will be able to do kendo after all… _"Kaoru! What gave you that idea?!"

"You didn't take me into your arms!" she sobbed, shoulders slumped and whole body shaking. "You think I'm not good enough anymore!"

Kenshin snapped. "Kaoru, that is the biggest fucking load of bullshit that I have ever heard! I am tired of us getting hurt, I am tired of you not thinking you are good enough, and I am _really_ fucking tired of you shoving me away every five seconds! I'm also tired of having this damned conversation!" He pulled her into a hug, his arms like steel bands wrapped around her body, not allowing her to resist. "I love you, and won't ever stop doing so until the day I die."

"Prove it," Kaoru whispered softly. "Prove to me that you still love me, that you can desire someone wounded like me."

Kenshin smirked. _Well, this shouldn't be too hard, should it_? Releasing her from his embrace, he gently grasped her chin and drew her into a soft kiss, untouched by passion, influenced only by love. Time became irrelevant as the kiss drew on, and it was only the need to breathe that forced them apart.

Kaoru broke the kiss and gasped, both to catch her breath and to show her shock at the feelings that Kenshin had expressed in that one simple gesture. "So you see, Kaoru. This one still loves you. Now let this one show you that I still desire you." Before Kaoru could say anything, Kenshin pushed her, gently forcing her down onto her bed. He kissed her again, but this kiss was like the last kiss as day was like night.

The kiss was hard, passionate, demanding. Lips bruised themselves against each other, and teeth clashed before giving way to tongues battling for dominance. Kaoru moaned, the sound coming from deep within, and Kenshin growled back in response, the kiss still not being broken. One of Kenshin's hands caressed the back of Kaoru's neck, his hot palm and fingers sending impulses of pleasure down her spine as he massaged slightly, and she shivered and moaned again.

The kiss was ended as Kenshin let his other hand find its way into Kaoru's sweatpants and under her underwear. He cupped her womanhood and his middle finger penetrated deeply as he ground his palm against the pearl-like bundle of nerves that lay at the top of her slit. Kaoru sat up abruptly at the sensation, muscles tightening as she curled around his hand, and she whimpered helplessly as a second finger joined the first.

Kenshin smirked as he heard the noises his little koishii was making. He was doing all this on purpose, attacking quickly; overloading her senses with a pleasure that came so fast that there was no defense against it.

He removed his hand from her neck and drew up her loose sleeping shirt around her torso, and he growled slightly with pleasure as he realized that his Kaoru didn't even notice the movement. Moving so quickly that even his shishou would have been impressed, Kenshin pushed down on her unwounded breast with his hand and swooped down on the wounded one, mindful of the horribly gaping wound on the gently sloping flesh of her chest that made his stomach clench with anger and shame.

Shaking those thoughts out of his mind, Kenshin continued his ministrations on the girl he loved. Where his hand was rough and demanding, his mouth was soft and giving, gently nipping at her nipple, soothing any hurt that he inflicted with apologetic caresses with his tongue.

For Kaoru the conflicting sensations proved too much. She cried out hoarsely as her orgasm overtook her, exploding from her core, sending waves of pleasure crashing through her body. As Kaoru whimpered with the force of the pleasure that still sang through her body, Kenshin leaned down so his mouth was next to her ear. "Do you still think I do not desire you, Kaoru-koishii? Do you still think that I don't find you the most beautiful thing that has happened to me for a long time?" he breathed, and he smirked as he watched her shudder from the feeling of his hot breath against her ear.

"Kami, Kenshin," Kaoru breathed throatily. "How could I have doubted you?"

Kenshin sighed. "I have not one clue, Kaoru. However, now that you realize the truth, I don't want to here those words come from your mouth again. Am I understood?" Once Kaoru nodded, Kenshin smirked and completely withdrew himself from any contact with his beloved. Careful not to make a single noise, he quickly shed all his clothes, and waited with bated breath as he watched his Kaoru look about with sightless eyes.

"Kenshin?" she called out, voice trembling with…fear? Anxiety? Pleasure? Still smirking, Kenshin pounced upon his loved one, and she squeaked as the weight of his body forced her to lie down upon the bed.

"Kenshiiin," Kaoru whined, almost like a little child. "Don't scare me like that!" In reply, Kenshin pressed his hardened length against Kaoru's hip, and she gasped before stilling, a look of pleasure fixed on her face. "Kami, it's been too long," she breathed, and Kenshin growled slightly. Then the hitokiri laughed.

"Too long?" he asked, both passion and humor easily identified in his voice. "It's only been a week since our last time, and most of it you spent in a coma."

Kaoru snorted. "That may be so, but it seems like it has been longer than a year!" She reached out, and grabbed Kenshin's manhood, feeling a thrill of power when he gasped. "And a year is _far_ too long to go without." She started idly pumping, and then took her free hand and started rubbing the head of the shaft she held in her hands. Kenshin jerked under her ministrations. "Don't you think so, _anata_?"

"_Haiii_," Kenshin hissed, gritting his teeth to try and stay in control. It wasn't working very well. After only a few more moments of enduring Kaoru's sensuous torture, he snapped. He jerked free of her hand, flipped her onto her back, and buried himself inside her, driving to the hilt with one quick thrust, the bed squeaking with the force of the move.

Kaoru yelped at the sudden feeling of intrusion, for it was painful in its quickness. "Kenshin! That hurt!"

"I'm sorry, Kaoru-koishii, but you were driving me insane," he breathed. "Here, let me make it better." Slowly he began to thrust in and out of his loved one's sodden womanhood, ending each with a sudden and fast jerk that drove him into her as deep as was possible, each stimulating her pleasure spot with sharp jabs of pleasure. Within minutes, Kaoru was writhing on the bed, her hands wandering over her own body, trying to find purchase in the storm of pleasure that was enveloping her.

Kenshin smirked, glad that he was able to bring such pleasure to the beauty lying down before him. He closed his eyes, and immersed himself into the sightless world that his loved one was condemned to. What he simply felt and sensed was amazing. The breathy moans and heady gasps that both he and Kaoru made, the feel of the sweet sweat that covered the both of them, the tightness that was clenched around him, and the sensation of simply being with the one he loved almost overwhelmed him, and his eyes snapped open in shock. "Kaoru," he breathed as he looked upon her passion filled body.

It seemed as though her entire body was clenching in pleasure, her hands fisted in the bed's sheet; her legs drawn up on either side of him, both of them tensed, as was her stomach and arms; her lower lip being worried by her teeth even as her eyes were shut, a look that could be mistaken as pained fixed on her beautiful face.

Careful of the bandages adorning her thigh, he pulled her legs up so they were hooked over his shoulders and increased his pace until he could go no faster nor harder. Pounding into his love, Kenshin tried to keep his own orgasm at bay, a task which was proving more and more difficult, for Kaoru was getting tighter and tighter , and if she didn't come soon, he would, and he didn't want it to end that way, making love was for both to enjoy, and-

Kaoru screamed as she finally came, and she tightened like a vice around Kenshin's manhood. Kenshin gave a hoarse shout as he finally succumbed to the pleasure, burying himself as deep as possible in Kaoru as her inner muscles milked him of everything he had. When the waves of pleasure stopped, Kenshin collapsed gently atop his love, and Kaoru stroked his face. "It all," she gasped, "seems more pleasurable when you can't see what is happening. I have _never_ felt anything that intense."

"Good," Kenshin growled hoarsely. "If that's the way things are going to be from now on, I think we'll both be happier for it." He withdrew his softening member from Kaoru's wet and hot womanhood, wincing at how sensitive he was. Kaoru whined at the feeling of loss once he was all the way out, and he smirked.

He gently turned her onto her side so she was facing away from him, and then drew her to him. "Go to sleep, koishii. Go to sleep and dream of a bright future," he murmured, voice rich and deep. Within moments, Kaoru was in the realm of dreams, snoring softly. It did not take long for Kenshin to join her.

16 August, D-Day-plus-one; Shizuoka, 07:34 hours; 1st Marine Division Headquarters:

"Congratulations on your promotion, son, you deserve it," Colonel Williford, the commanding officer of the 7th Marine Regiment, said with a fatherly smile. Major Giovanni, the man in charge of 2nd Battalion, was also present in what used to be part of the enemy bunker system that had been looking over the beach. "From what the Major here has been telling me, it sounds like you were the first to actually lead a unit and capture any enemy positions."

"Yes sir, that's right sir," Fenn said, standing at the stiffest attention he could manage. It was not often that your Battalion Commander called you by name to his headquarters, but to have the Regimental Commander do the same was almost unheard of. After all, the man standing before him controlled a full third of the _Division_, fer chrissakes. The only officer higher than him was Major General Richards, the man running the entire division.

"Y'all can relax, Corporal, we aren't going to bite," Williford smiled, his accent that of southern United States region. "Hell, I was damned impressed once I heard what y'all and your platoon did. You led a charge into enemy gunfire, got wounded, but still managed to capture the first line of trenches. Then, you took forty-three captives with the help of only one other Marine. Y'all did a fine job. Not only are you promoted, but I've commended you for a silver star. Good job, Marine."

Fenn swallowed thickly. A silver star? Good Lord, he didn't do _that_ much. "Sir, I don't think that-"

"Well, Fenn, since you've been wounded and there are plenty of reserve units sitting in the Philippines, you can go back home. I know that normally you'd just go to the nearest hospital until recuperated, but the Corps takes care of its men, especially the ones who perform above and beyond the call of duty."

Fenn winced at the thought of leaving. "Sir, I…" he started, unaware that both the officers in front of him were watching him like hawks watched their prey…sharp, calculating, and with no emotion. "Sir," he started again, chuckling weakly. "Sir, I can't leave my men. I appreciate what you are trying to do for me, but I can't abandon them. The easy part of the invasion is over. If I just up and leave right now, then I'm going to feel like a coward for the rest of my life. I know I'm wounded, but it ain't bad, sir, just a scratch. I can still be a Marine."

Giovanni glanced at Williford, and the higher ranking officer gave a short, almost imperceptible nod. The Major stepped forward. "Well, Marine, if that's how ya feel, then we aren't goin' to try and change yer mind," the man said, his accent betraying his childhood in the streets of New York City. "We'll get yer orders changed, and ya can get back t'yer men. Dismissed."

Fenn snapped out a smart salute, and Giovanni returned it. The young Marine did a sharp about face, and left the bunker, obviously limping from the wound in his leg. Williford exhaled sharply. "I thought that young men like him died out in the forties," he commented.

Giovanni nodded his understanding. "Yeah, I see what ya mean. He believes in his duty, that's fer damn sure. I get the feeling he'll be sergeant b'fore this little adventure is over." Shaking his head sadly, he turned and looked out to sea, where supplies were still being loaded onto the beach. "That or he'll be dead." The New Yorker sighed heavily before turning to the tactical map on the table set in the middle of the room. "Now, I've got the seventh working as a rear guard right now, giving the men a chance to get some sleep and hot food, but…"

Shizuoka, 08:02 hours; Corporal Matthew Fenn, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division:

He sighed, rubbing his leg. Underneath his pants, there was a heavy bandage covering his wound, but the bandage didn't stop the pain. He sat down heavily, looking over the beach now crawling with men, great mounds of supplies piled everywhere. He had the feeling that this would be a truly beautiful place if not for the war that would soon begin in earnest.

He lay back against the grass covered dune, and sighed. So, not only was he promoted to corporal, but he might also get the Silver Star. He didn't really care about that type of stuff, though. Instead, he thought about the heavy cost the landing had taken from him. His squad's sergeant, torn in half before his very eyes. His platoon's leading officer was dead, as was the sergeant, and he had known and admired both Lieutenant Clancy and Sergeant Thomson. Jackson was still MIA, though three bodies had been found inside of the AAV, burned beyond recognition. The three were being sent home so that they could be identified, but Fenn had no doubt that one of them was his hometown friend. A familiar sense of prickling eyes and tightening throat overcame him, and Fenn squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stave off the tears. Marines didn't cry!

"Corporal Fenn?"

Broken out of his thoughts, Fenn looked up to see a young man standing before him with two plates of steaming food. At first he thought that the thin and bookish looking man was a private, but then he saw the sergeant stripes on the man's coat lapels. Jumping to his feet, Fenn snapped to attention. "Yes, sergeant, I'm Fenn."

The sergeant offered his hand, and Fenn took it without hesitation. He was pleased when the sergeant's handshake was firm and certain, even though he looked thin and weak. "Well, Corporal, my name is Wilkins, and I'm your squad sergeant now. Just got the orders." He readjusted his thick-rimmed, military issue glasses. "However, I realize that you know the people in your squad better than I could. I'll probably rely on your support until everyone gets used to me, yes?"

"Actually, sergeant, I don't know any of the replacements, including you. We lost a lot of people on the landing, five of them from my squad alone. Looks like we're in the same boat."

Wilkins smirked, and gestured to the ground. "Mind if I sit down?"

"Not at all, sergeant." They both sat, and the sergeant handed one of the plates to Fenn, and he smirked. "Joy. Questionable ham and fake scrambled eggs. My favorite form of poison," he griped even as he began to dig in. No infantryman in any branch of service was stupid enough to turn down hot food that he didn't have to carry around himself. MREs tasted good, but they were MREs. At least _this_ food was cooked properly.

After a few moments of silence, Wilkins waved at the beach with his fork. "So, what's it like?" he asked around a mouthful of the powdered eggs.

Fenn looked up from inspecting his ham. He could have sworn it _moved_! "Sergeant?"

"Combat."

Fenn winced. Sighing heavily, he looked out towards the sea. "Hot. Confusing. Terrifying. Dark. Bright. Painful. Agonizing. Hatred. Helpless anger. Want me to continue?"

Wilkins looked like he regretted bringing it up. "Sorry, I didn't want to bring up any bad memories, but I want to be as prepared as possible. It must be awkward for you, having a green sergeant like me when you are already an experienced soldier."

Fenn laughed. "Experienced?" he snorted. "I've only been in one battle so far. That's not experienced. I'm in the same position as you, sarge."

It was Wilkins' turn to laugh. "Are you kidding me? You're the talk of the Division, man. People are saying that without you, we might have lost more of the first wave than we did. You almost single-handedly captured more than forty of the enemy…you're like a hero! Everyone is in awe of you."

Fenn shifted uncomfortably. "But I didn't do anything special…I just did my duty, that's all."

"Ah, yes. Don't you hate that? You do something extraordinary while doing what anyone else would have done in the same position, and then _you_ get praised," a new voice commented, closer than Fenn expected.

He started, but leapt up to his feet at the same time as Wilkins, but his leg gave a painful jolt. He ignored it. Behind them stood a Marine with staff sergeant stripes, and something about him prickled Fenn's danger sense. He looked over the man carefully, noting that he didn't look very big in terms of muscle, but he looked very well defined. The stranger was probably stronger than he looked…way stronger. "Staff Sergeant Marvin," the man smiled, though there was something missing in that smile…was it the fact that there was no warmth in Marvin's eyes?

"Lance Corpo…I mean, Corporal Fenn, sergeant," Fenn said uncertainly as he offered his hand. Marvin took his hand, and Fenn felt the strength in the sergeant's grip. As the handshake ended, Fenn had the distinct feeling that this was the most gung-ho Marine he'd ever meet.

"Well, Sergeant Wilkins," Marvin said, not entirely ignoring Fenn, but his sharp focus was now upon the young sergeant. "I've heard that in a few days, if even that, you boys are going to be moving out. After all, the Corps sent us here not to have a vacation, but to get our jobs done, ooh-rah?"

"Ooh-rah!" both Fenn and Marvin barked back.

"Now, I've heard from intel that the civilian populace isn't going to resist against us as long as we keep the civvie casualties down. We've been dropping pamphlets all over the country, saying that not only do we wish to take Shishio down, but we will also accept any surrender on the part of the enemy military. Of course, the Japanese are so fanatic, I don't know if any of what intel has said is true, so keep your heads up when out in Indian territory, and don't trust any Japanese you see, unless they are CRF, that is, Chosu Rebellion Forces."

Fenn cocked his head slightly, looking at the staff sergeant in front of him. "How'd you find that out? Not even I heard of this, and I would think that our officers would make sure the soldiers heading out soon would be told this, right?"

Marvin smirked. "Well, Fenn, if you're a scout sniper in the Marine Corps, you make sure you know everything you can about what's going on even within your own unit. Especially when you are concerned about where you are going to be ordered next, right?"

Fenn swallowed heavily. A scout sniper? The most elite in the Marines, they were also the most respected…and feared. The average infantryman hated snipers with a passion, and Fenn was no exception to that rule. After all, snipers robbed you the chance to fight back; it was almost personal when they engaged your team. Would the sniper target you? You would never get the chance to find out if he did; he would simply kill you with one well placed shot. But while you waited for that fatal shot, there was _nothing_ you could do but take to cover and hope to God that the sniper couldn't hit you. That and remember all of your sins and wonder if this was God's punishment to you.

Fenn shook his head to clear his mind. "So, Sergeant, uhh, why did you come over here to tell us? You have no obligation to my unit."

Marvin smirked. "Actually, I do. Me and my spotter have been assigned to you platoon, but I'll probably stick around your squad the most. I was watching your every move during the landing, and I can tell you're a gung-ho Marine."

Fear trickled down Fenn's back like ice cold water. This sniper had been watching their every move? Then he remembered how some of the Jap soldiers in the trench had been killed by a sniper. This man before him had probably saved his life. In fact, it was almost definite. If it wasn't for the sniper in front of him, he would have led his entire unit into the bullets of a Jap platoon.

Fenn winced, suddenly feeling sick. Marvin saw his expression and smirked again. "You're welcome." The sniper looked at his watch, and then nodded to the two men before him. "Well, I've got to go report to my el-tee, but I'll be seeing you gentlemen later. We should be finding out when we are heading out soon, so keep your ears open." He turned, and made his way off, marching briskly.

Fenn turned to Wilkins, and jerked his thumb towards the retreating sniper. "That man is down right scary, if you ask me." Then he noticed the look of muted rage on the sergeant's face. "Sarge? What's wrong with you?"

"I wasn't informed that my command of the squad would be so short lived," he bit out. "Now we're going to be ordered around by a sniper staff sergeant? That just pisses me off, Fenn!"

Fenn grimaced, and shrugged. "Well, Sarge, if that's what HQ orders, there's not much we can do but like it." He shrugged again. "Come on, let's see if we can't find some coffee to finish breakfast with."

Wilkins sighed explosively and rubbed his hand over his face. Looking once more in the direction that the sniper has disappeared off in, he shook his head, and started towards the mess hall. Fenn sighed in relief, and followed his sergeant. He was right, after all. You may not like what headquarters orders of you, but they were like so many gods from the viewpoint of the young Marines they commanded. You did not question, you simply did what they ordered of you. In a way, Fenn almost liked this method of command. It made his life very simple, not having to lead all that many people. He was content only having to control his fire team. Regardless, he would still prepare for the next level of command. He had already been brutally proven that sergeants were NOT immortal, as they appeared to be. The young corporal shook his head, and stepped off more vigorously, ignoring the twinge in his leg. Time for those thoughts later. Now was time to get coffee.

Shishio Imperial Forces Main Headquarters; Kyoto, exact location unknown; 09:32 hours; Shishio Makoto's POV:

The sun had risen several hours ago, but he had heard whispers amongst the men, saying the sun had started to set on the empire that _he_ had forged out of the ashes. He sneered. They were fools. It did not matter if the Europeans had banded together to make one pathetic army, it did not matter that the United Countries had been making amphibious landings in Asia and Japan itself. He had already dispatched an assassin to take care of any of the politicians in the old United States who had supported this foolhardy war.

He was, however, annoyed that the Marines had dared invade Japan. No enemy army had invaded the main Japanese homeland in a very, very long time. Yes, the Russians and the Americans had captured Japanese islands during World War Two, but they didn't actually invade the homeland. But now the fools came and challenged the center of his great empire with nothing but a single Division. What colossal idiots they were.

Still, the self-made emperor realized, it _had_ been a brilliant move, just one not taken properly. How would one put it in that _gaijin_ game, chess? Ah, yes. It was like sending a single pawn against the king. Though the king could win in a confrontation with the weak and insignificant pawn, he was still going to call in his elite units from their stations near the Middle East. Then the poor Americans would find out what it was like to be a pawn against three or four queens.

Shishio brought his hand up to his chin, thinking. Regardless of what the _baka _Americans rated as, there was still the CRF to worry about, and with that troublesome Battôsai on their side, they would have to be regarded as a queen, and a very quick and hard to catch one at that.

Shishio shrugged as he took a sip of his wine. If they somehow managed to defeat him, he wouldn't take it _too_ personally. After all, that would just prove that they were stronger then he was, though he doubted it. _Well_, the evil man thought realistically, _at least if I die I can go to Hell and take IT over. That would be interesting!_ The sinister laugh started slowly at first, until Shishio was roaring with vile mirth. _The world dares to oppose me? Bring it on!_


	23. Blood for Blood

**AN- Okay, I have a few things I'd like to say. Firstly, I apologize for taking so long to update this fic. I could have been working harder at it, but I didn't, so now it is later than I would have liked. The second thing I want to say is I'm sorry this is shorter than previous chapters. I've just been entirely unmotivated, thanks to low review numbers. I thank midnightblue 123, Taryka, and chickentyrant5 for your reviews of the previous chapter, but I berate everyone else. It's your fault that this fic is so slow. The more I know people are reading and reviewing and enjoying this story, the more I want to get chapters out to please the audience. But when you guys give so few reviews, I just don't feel the need to put the story on my priority list. That isn't really fair to the people who review and want this story to continue, but I find it hard to feel motivated when nobody except a handful of people review. So please, to make me feel better about my writing and to get more chapters, find it in your heart to review. It won't take five minutes of your time.**

**READ, ENJOY, AND _REVIEW!_**

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

BLOOD FOR BLOOD

Commanding General of the United Countries of North America Armed Forces' Place of Residence, Central New York State; 24:00hrs; Captain Henry Bartlett's POV:

He poured himself another glass of scotch, and praised his good luck. He was finally going to get married to Adrianna Rose, the woman, he heard from his father, who had finally basically ordered the war to begin with the Shishio Imperialist Forces. He admitted to himself that he was a bit apprehensive about marrying Adrianna, but only because he might be deployed. He was, after all, a fighter pilot of the UCNA Air Force. And right now, all the rumors were pointing towards being deployed in Asia, if it ever happened.

Though, the young Captain realized, he did almost look forward to being deployed. He _was_ a fighter pilot, after all. The one thing he desired the most out of his career was shooting down five enemy aircraft and joining the ranks of the aces. Didn't every fighter pilot? The fact that he flew the most advanced jet his country had to offer, the F-22A Raptor, only fueled his desire to fly in the combat sky.

"Hey, son! Get in here and talk to your fiancé!" his father barked with good nature from the den. Henry smiled at the thought of being with his future wife, and he moved towards the room as he sipped his scotch. His father, Richard, would probably poke fun at him, as he usually did. He was a Marine, and therefore just couldn't pass up the opportunity to make fun of a 'wing-wiper'.

Henry loved his father, probably just about as much as a son could. He was also grateful that the old man didn't use any of his rank to influence his son's career. Henry earned every single promotion he got and every single award he was rewarded. He had even thought about changing his name at one point just so that the mere fact that he was the son of one of the highest ranking men in the UCNA military wouldn't influence him. He didn't, and now he had the sneaking suspicion that the fact that he was a relatively young captain was because of his father's prestige.

He stepped into the den, and smiled beamingly at his soon-to-be wife, who made more money in four months than he made in a year. It was a slightly odd thing to think about, for he truly did love the woman, and money had nothing to do with their relation. They both made enough money to live perfectly comfortably. But, admittedly, there was an entirely male part of himself that did not like the fact that he wasn't the major bread winner. He wanted to be the main provider in the household, but that wasn't really realistic, especially after the plague. The old United States was still recovering from the plague, and they had been hit relatively lightly.

He knew that some areas in Africa and Asia had been entirely depopulated. Some villages had no life but lots of bodies. A sickening thought. Of course, this was why he was glad that they were finally attacking Shishio and his forces. The fucker had to pay for what he…

His father's computer chimed. Henry blinked, but didn't pay any untoward attention as his father turned towards the computer, a frown on his face. His father received emails at all hours of the day. He continued on to Adrianna, and wrapped her in a hug, his strong arms gently encompassing her.

"I'm coming for you?!" his father snapped, and Henry looked over at him, surprised. Someone sent his father a threat over the computer? _What the hell?_

"Dad, what the hell is going on?" he asked incredulously. No one threatened his dad, he was the most powerful man in the United Countries of-

He heard a door being blown open, the ringing of a blade, gun shots, screams emanating from the front entrance. Without any further thought he pushed Adrianna behind him and drew his service Beretta M9 Automatic pistol, his military instincts taking over. The door behind him opened, but he didn't turn, because that particular door lead to the dining room, and that was where James Johnson was, one of their bodyguards, and there was no way Johnson would go down without firing at least one shot. "Sirs, we need to get you out of here, now!" the bodyguard shouted.

Henry turned to address the man, but the den door splintered, and he turned…just in time to see a bloody blade, and a hypnotizing gaze. He felt every muscle in his body tighten and seize up. He groaned in frustration as he slowly brought his pistol to bear. "What…" he hissed slowly, painfully, "…did you do to me?"

"Uhu-hu-hu," the assailant chortled. "I overrode your weak will and paralyzed you…though, I am surprised that you are still moving at all. My compliments. My reward for being so strong willed is to kill you last. Enjoy," the man sneered before laughing again at his helplessness. Henry aimed carefully, and willed his finger to pull the trigger.

However, the assassin smirked and moved out of the way before his finger could finish the movement. With a dry crack, his pistol fired, and the bullet thudded harmlessly into the wall. "Fuuuck!" he growled tightly.

He watched helplessly as the assailant strode fearlessly, cockily towards his father. He groaned in frustration as he tried to focus his will to break whatever spell had been placed over him. He. Had. To. Save. His. Father!

Unfortunately, he could do little more than watch as the assassin pulled back his arm and thrust his bloodied sword right through his father's heart. Screaming with a pure and feral rage, something in Henry snapped, and he moved in a blur, his pistol centering on the mother fucker's back.

James Johnson's POV:

He was at first surprised and shocked when he found that he could not move a muscle, but then he tried to think objectively. Henry fired, but the shot hit the wall, doing no damage to the assassin. As the assassin moved towards his principle, he tried to move, but still failed.

_Move, you stupid bastard!_ he shouted angrily at himself. Before this, he was one of the Secret Service agents, given the job of protecting the President of the United States of America. And before _that_ he was a Navy Seal. He was a warrior, through and through, and if he didn't move now, then he would fail the man he was sworn to protect. He needed to save his principle!

Yet he could do little than watch as the assassin ran Richard Bartlett through, the closest thing to a President of the United States this day and age. _You failed!_ his mind screamed at him, and he knew instinctively that Miss Rose was next. He wouldn't fail again!

He concentrated his willpower, which he remembered had been subject to some of the most demanding and arduous training and trials in the world as a Seal, and then went through even more mental conditioning while in the Secret Service, and now all of that was going to go down the drain if he didn't move now!

It suddenly felt as though a great weight was lifted from his body, and he snapped his pistol around just as Henry screamed with rage and began to move as well. He didn't have to aim to know where his bullet would land, and he pulled the trigger of his SIG-Sauer P226 just as Henry pulled the trigger to his own weapon. Both 9mm bullets hit at the same time, Henry's blowing a hole into the fucker's heart, and Johnson's punched through the assassin's head.

Both he and Henry ran up to the dead assassin and unloaded their clips into him, firing as quickly as they could, turning the bastard into hamburger. "That's what you get," Henry panted, "for killing my father, you sonuvabitch!"

"Sir, go see to your fiancé," Johnson ordered as he headed for the front entrance. He looked out, and nearly threw up. All five guards, men and women he had known and had called friends, were dead. They had all been killed by blade, some dismembered and one decapitated. "Fuck!" Suddenly remembering that he was carrying a dry weapon, he reloaded quickly. He had a job to do. "This is Agent Johnson, calling all other units," he said quickly and clearly into his radio. "I am taking Wingman and Duchess to a safe place. I repeat, I am taking them to a safe place."

Turning towards his two principles, he began thinking of where to take them. Ah, yes. That old National Guard base in Auburn, New York. That was less than an hour's drive from here, and it was the safest place he could think of. The troops could protect them. "Sir, ma'am, we've got to go, it isn't safe here. We don't know if the assailant has back up or not, and I don't particularly want to find out."

Henry nodded, Johnson was pleased to see. "Where will we be going?"

Johnson began heading for the dining room, and he made sure the room was clear before proceeding, both Henry and Adrianna following him. "Sir, I can't tell you, not while we may still be under enemy surveillance. Come on." Walking down the hallway leading to the back parlor, he stopped by what looked like a standard closet. It wasn't. Behind the wooden door was another door, made of metal and with a keypad set in it. He typed in a combination quickly, and popped the door open, taking out a pair of P90s. Handing one of the weapons to Henry, he grabbed a pair of night vision goggles from the closet before closing the closet door.

Only a few moments later, he opened the back door of the house, scanning the darkness carefully, his night vision goggles dispelling the gloom of night, revealing the bodies of several guards scattered throughout the compound. Cursing softly, he scanned again, searching for anything that might be a threat. Seeing nothing, he motioned behind him, and headed straight for the woods.

"Johnson, aren't we going to be getting one of the cars?" Henry asked, voice confused, angry, tired, and annoyed. The bodyguard looked back and shook his head. Looking back at the house and the garage, he again scanned for threats, but again he didn't see any. Then again, the biggest danger was the one that couldn't be seen. He remembered a Marine Corps saying: 'The bullet with your name on it isn't the one that you should worry about…it's the one addressed "To whom it may concern" that you have to look out for.' Amazingly intelligent for a jarhead, it was also true. He would be taking no chances…

Maldonado household, Central New York State; 24:47hrs; Anthony Maldonado's POV:

Sipping his beer, Anthony watched his television as he sat comfortably in his reclining chair. He had been trying to sleep earlier when those hooligans across the wooded lot had decided to have a shooting party, and so, here he was, watching some movie channel.

_I better be able to get some fucking sleep! I've gotta work tomorrow, and if I'm tired just because mister high-and-mighty general on the other side of the woods thinks he can do whatever the hell he wants, well, he's got another thing coming! I'll sue him if I hafta. I don't care if you are rich and have a lot of influence; us little folk have lives too. I swear I oughtta-_

The doorbell rang. Blinking in surprise, Anthony got up slowly, mindful of his large belly. _I tell you what I oughtta do, I oughtta lose fifty pounds. Maybe if I cut back on my drinking…_

Making his way to the door, he opened it. His eyes widened, and his dropped his can of beer. "Ohmygod! I didn't do anything, please don't shoot!" he cried, raising his hands. On his doorstep stood a man in a suit, with night vision goggles and some kind of boxy little weapon. The man was tall and built powerfully, and radiated confidence and strength. Behind him stood another man who was next to a woman, both of them dressed more casually. The man carried another of the box-like weapons.

"Sir, I am here to inform you that we are going to commandeer your vehicle. In order to compensate you for the trouble, we will fully pay for a new car of your choice. Thank you for your cooperation." That said, the man in the suit turned and headed for Anthony's garage, the other two following him. Anthony could only look on with shock. It was not until twenty minutes after his car left his driveway that he could react, and he called the cops, reporting a stolen vehicle. Looking out the still open door, Anthony could only think one thing: _What the fuck was that?_

Henry Bartlett's POV:

"So, why did we have to take this piece of crap instead of one of my father's vehicles?" he asked his stoic bodyguard from the back seat. Adrianna sat next to him, shivering. He had already given her his jacket, but it did little to quell the shock she was immersed in.

"Sir, I've been studying assassins and the way they do their jobs for a long time. Crazy as that guy was, he was a professional. Remember how everyone outside was dead? He probably killed them before he even sent the email. The reason we took this car was because the assassin must have known that he was going up against ex-Secret Service and other high profile bodyguards. He would have realized that there was a chance that he could have been stopped, and might have rigged the cars with explosives." Johnson paused, and his shoulders tensed. "Shit! I forgot to test the back door for a trap before using it. Damn, we're lucky. If he had put a trap to prevent people from running, we might have been dead by now."

A cold chill enveloped Henry. So many variables that could have led to the death of both him and his love... "Where are we going?"

"To the National Guard base in the city of Auburn. It'll take another hour to get there, but we should be safe with them. You should both get some sleep, sir. It's late, and you both have to be tired. I'll wake you once we get there."

Henry yawned at the mention of sleep. "Yeah," he murmured as he drew Adrianna into his arms, and almost immediately she stopped shivering and turned towards his warmth. Within minutes, she was sleeping, and it did not take long for Henry to follow her.

Two weeks later; Moscow, Russia; 1800hrs (local time); Podpolkovnik (Lieutenant Colonel) Andrei Ivan'ovich Dragunov's POV:

"What?!" he roared, and the council chamber became instantly silent. "_Hooy na ny_!"

"Comrade Podpolkovnik!" one of the generals in the room snapped. "Remember where you are, and don't use such language again!" The man then sighed. "But, yes, it is true. Due to the fact that the American General Bartlett was assassinated, the rest of their council has decided to save their own skins and call back all forces currently engaging the Shishio Imperialist Forces."

Andrei sighed. "I need a drink," he muttered as he reached for the decanter and refilled his crystal tumbler. After throwing back the good vodka, he looked around the table. "I know I am relatively low ranked, but I must ask this: what are we going to do without American military support?"

"What are we going to-?!" one of the senior officials spluttered in shock. "We're going to take back our land! There is no way that we are going to let those Japanese idiots keep _our_ country!"

"They outnumber our forces greatly, comrades. We mustn't forget this."

Another general scoffed. "It does not matter. Shishio, the stupid bastard that he is, actually did us a favor. Now our army is smaller, but the corruption is gone, and our soldiers are proud to serve, and eagerly await the chance to strike back at the people who have taken their homes and families from them. Plus, with the economic aid of other nations, our military is quickly becoming one of the best in the world. Did you not notice, Comrade Podpolkovnik, that our tanks are only T80s, T90s, T99s, and T12UMs? We have even more advanced APCs, and our Air Force is even more advanced still. We will crush the foreign devils, and show them the strength of the Russian military!"

"Prepare your troops, Andrei Ivan'ovich Dragunov. We will strike with the strength of all our military soon, and aid the 10th ESF Field Army. We will take back our lands, and teach them the same lesson we taught the Germans and the French."

Andrei snapped to attention, and saluted sharply. He left the room with a large grin. Soon it would be the _Rodina's_ turn to show her worth. The foolish Japanese invaders would find out why you never invaded Russia and not complete the job…

25 August, 12:47hrs; Shizouka, one mile out to sea; UCNA Carrier USS Enterprise; Major General Richard's POV:

He chewed on the butt of his cigar as he looked at the communication displayed on the screen in front of him. A feeling of desperation, utter disbelief, and deep sadness had overwhelmed him. "I don't like this," he said to the Navy officer standing next to him.

"Neither do I," Admiral Collins replied. He too would have had a cigar, but his wife had made him quit that particular vice a few years back. "This isn't right."

"But what can we do about it?" Richards asked. He again read the communiqué. URGENT: TO ALL FORCES CURRENTLY ENGAGING SIF FORCES, WITHDRAW FROM BATTLE AT ONCE. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN RELIEF FROM MILITARY. REPEAT: WITHDRAW FROM BATTLE AT ONCE! "It just seems like we're quitting, and that ain't right, not after American blood has been spilled on enemy land."

Collins grunted. "I'll tell you what we can do. We can stay and fight."

Richards smiled. "Yeah. I'm getting too old for this man's military anyhow."

"I was just thinking the same thing," Collins grinned back.

Shizuoka, 13:19 hours; Corporal Matthew Fenn, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division:

"I didn't see that one coming," he muttered lightly. He and all the other Marines were just told that they were no longer operating under UCNA jurisdiction. They had, effectively, just gone rogue. He wondered if that was wise, considering what they would be fighting. Well, he liked General Richards more than he liked the UCNA Council, so he wasn't going to go AWOL. Hopefully they would be moving out soon, he and his fellow troops were getting antsy.

CRF Main Base; Katsura Kogoro's POV:

"Interesting," he said softly as he sipped his afternoon tea. Aoshi Shinomori stood before him, and had just delivered some of the most concerning news. They would not be getting anymore UCNA military support. Not officially, anyway. He had the feeling that the Marines would be staying, and the Green Berets had already said that they would remain where they were, orders or no orders. "What will this mean?"

"Without a doubt, this means that the air support we have been getting from the Americans will cease, unless the Marines are staying. Even then, we will have greatly reduced support, as they will be more concerned with defending their own than a resistance…"

"However?"

"However, if the UCNA High Council will respond to this as I think they will, they will order the Marines and the UCNA fleet as traitors and therefore enemies of the state. If they mobilize nearby UCNA troops to attack the Marines, then this wave of 'rebellion' will spread, and soon we might have more men fighting on our land then we previously hoped for. There are a lot of UCNA soldiers stationed in the Philippines, and if they are ordered to attack their friends, then they will undoubtedly aid them instead. This might greatly work to our advantage."

"And Himura?"

"He is recovering well, and will be able to fight again very soon."

Katsura nodded. "Good. Then soon we will strike against the SIF inside of Japan, and help our brethren still under Shishio's brutal yoke. His reign of terror will soon come to an end, I can see this as clearly as the sun shines on a cloudless day." Katsura leaned back in his chair. "Dismissed, Shinomori."


	24. We few, we happy few

**AN- Long time no post, I guess. I apologize for the long wait, and I cannot really offer any reason other than 'writer's block'. However, I knew I had to get this posted before I went on vacation, which will last a month. I might be able to post then, but I highly doubt it. Anyway, i've been told that this is becoming more of an original story, and I promise to pay more attention to Kenshin and company from now on. I wanted to write some Enishi into this chapter, but just didn't have the time. Next chapter, though, will see his return. I hope that everyone enjoys this chapter, and I ask, as per usual, that you review. I hope that everyone will enjoy this chapter, but if not, then please tell me what you didn't like, and I'll see if I can't fix it.**

**READ, ENJOY, AND REVIEW!! **

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

WE FEW, WE HAPPY FEW…

30 August; Hamamatsu, 15:32 hours; Corporal Matthew Fenn, Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division:

"When we were told that we were going to invade Japan," Fenn commented lightly, "I thought the locals were either going to love us or hate us…not disappear completely." His eyes once again scanned the abandoned roadway, where civilian vehicles were scattered like leaves on a fall day. He could hear the supply trucks and tanks rumbling on the Tomei Expressway, which was about half-a-mile to the west of his position. And above that, if you listened carefully, you could faintly hear the sound of the ocean. But other than that, it was dead quiet.

His squad was actually doing security for the Division's spearhead. As far as he could tell, they weren't conquering any territory. Once they captured a town, they would only keep troops in it long enough to get the Division through, but after that everyone pulled out and moved on. It made him nervous, not having anywhere to fall back to, but this way they would have all the troops they needed when they made the final assault on Kyoto. He had to admit that not having a supply line was both a curse and a blessing. Again, a supply line would need troops to defend it. Instead, their supplies came from the battle group out at sea. They were never very far from the water, so if the supply helicopters came in hard and fast, hopefully they wouldn't lose too many, yet keep the Division fully equipped. So far it had worked like a charm, but it wasn't just the Japanese civilian population that wasn't making a show. There had been no significant SIF counter-attack since Shizuoka, which was starting to worry Fenn. If someone had invaded the States, he knew he wouldn't have taken it lightly.

He sighed as no one responded to his comment, and continued walking along the road. It had gotten rather hot rather quickly, and his sleeves were rolled up, and he was cursing his heavy combat gear. He lifted his rifle slightly as he scanned the interior of a shop that's door was open to the street. Judging by the amount of old refuse on the floors, it had been a while since the place was abandoned. Shaking his head, Fenn looked ahead…just in time to see Sergeant Wilkins hold up a fist. Stopping with the rest of the squad, Fenn brought his rifle to his shoulder. Wilkins gave the signal to take cover, and Fenn ran forward so that he was behind a small car, Private Allejandro Martinez taking cover with him. It was not long until all thirteen Marines of the squad were behind cover.

"Fuck! What's happening? Is it the enemy?" Allejandro asked in a rush, trying to peer over the top of the car.

Fenn had the urge to tell the younger man, a replacement for one of the Marines fallen at Shizuoka, to shut up. "If there were enemies," he explained slowly, "then we would not just be sitting here doing nothing. Stoney would be on the radio, we'd be getting support, and we'd probably be shooting at something. My guess is that our scouts have finally returned. Just hold still, you're getting on my nerves."

Instead of peeking over the top of the car, Fenn decided to look around the side. Sure enough, the Scout/Sniper team was coming down the road towards them. He breathed a sigh of relief. It had not taken long for him to respect the staff sergeant and his corporal spotter, especially once it became clear that he wasn't in charge of the squad, but was instead attached to their platoon, seeing as they were, for the most part, on the leading edge of the Marine advance. Plus, he ruefully admitted to himself, it was handy to have a sniper watching your back.

Seeing that the sniper team was taking its time to get to their position, Fenn dug into his pant's cargo pocket, withdrawing a packet of vegetable crackers and a package of cheese spread. His dad had been in the military, and used to bring home MREs after they were invented. The cheese spread and the vegetable crackers had been his favorite, for he didn't like the MRE peanut butter, and the plain crackers were too bland. He was halfway into his small snack when Pak and Marvin got to their position. He paid little attention as Marvin requested that the platoon commander be summoned so that he could give his reconnaissance report.

He was drinking out of his canteen when 2nd Lieutenant Sathers arrived, Sergeant Wilkins standing to greet the man with a sharp salute. Fenn fought the urge to roll his eyes as the 'good lieutenant' peered down the street with a large pair of binoculars. "I swear," he muttered to Allejandro, "that man is like a peacock, too dignified and vain for his own good." It was no secret that Sathers was in the military for the political advantage of being an officer. Fenn wouldn't have minded the fact, either…except Sathers was only interested in his career, not the lives of the soldiers he led. To put it shortly, Sathers was a bit of an ass. Fenn was taking another drink when it happened.

There was a loud, wet sounding _smack_ as a bullet impacted with flesh, followed by the dry crack of a rifle. "Fuck! SNIPER!" Wilkins bellowed as he dropped to his knees…only to catch the bullet that was meant for his chest in his throat. Fenn could only watch in shock as his sergeant rag-dolled. Cursing, Fenn looked to Sathers before tearing his eyes off of the fallen lieutenant as quickly as he could. The man's face had imploded around the area where the heavy bullet had struck.

For the third time, there was that stomach-churning _smack_ and the sound of another body falling, but Fenn didn't want to look around the car and see another man dead, especially if it was possibly one of his friends. A pained groan caught his attention, and though his common sense screamed at him to not look around the car, he did. Fuck. It was Pak. Though he had never had the chance to talk to the man properly, Pak had seemed like a friendly and outgoing man, not at all like the quiet and introverted sniper who was his partner.

Pak saw him, and reached out for him, oblivious to all the other men's shouts that were telling him to stay still. Pak gave a rasping, gurgling cough, and blood spewed forth from his mouth, covering his chin with the sanguine liquid. "My…lungs!" the stricken man mouthed, unable to even say anything. Breathing heavily, Fenn pulled away from the corner of the car, gripping his rifle tightly.

Taking a deep, gulping breath, he turned to Allejandro. "Get me your paracord!" he snapped, and the young private fumbled to follow his order. Once he had been handed the thin green rope, Fenn went to work looping one end so that Pak could grab onto it. The paracord was long enough to be thrown ten times the distance that Pak was, so that wasn't a problem. _Thank God for small miracles_, Fenn silently intoned as he looked slightly around the car again. Spotting where he wanted to through the loop, Fenn lightly cast the rope through the air, and slumped as the loop landed directly on Pak's outstretched hand. "Come on, Pak! Grab the fucking cord!" Amazingly, the wounded man did so, and Fenn started pulling Pak towards him.

"Covering fire!" a private first class shouted, Frank Dudek if Fenn wasn't mistaken, and the rest of the squad leaned out of their places of cover to fire randomly down the street, hoping to distract the sniper.

Their bullets had no effect. Just as Fenn was pulling Pak around the corner, the spotter's back spewed out a gout of blood and his face exploded outward, the heavy bullet ricocheting off the street before careening down the street. Fenn just stared at the man's body for a second before sucking in a deep, gasping breath. He didn't hear the yells of shock and the screamed curses, nor the crack of the enemy's rifle. Something deep, dark, and furious seized Fenn, and he went over the scene of Pak's death even as he grabbed the spotter's scoped M21 sniper rifle.

_The angle of the strike would indicate that the sniper is...there_! Fenn thought as he glanced over the top of the car. There it was, a four story building, many of the windows blown out, probably because of shelling or bombing. None of this mattered to the jarhead as he stood up, bringing the scoped rifle to bear. He scanned the top floor, searching for movement, and movement he found. He couldn't see much, but he could distinguish a rifle, even as it shifted towards him. He let off a round, and cursed as it missed, a few feet low and to the left.

The enemy sniper fired, and Fenn crouched, only to hear the bullet snap over his head. His left arm found the sling, and he looped it around his elbow, grasping it tightly against the rifle's stock, providing another platform of stability. This took him far less than a second, and even as he was doing this he was acquiring a sight picture, adjusting for where his last shot and fallen. His enemy had a bolt-action rifle. He didn't.

Fenn fired, and fired, and fired, each shot aimed as quickly as possible, each shot landing either near or on the enemy sniper. Pak's rifle dug harshly against his shoulder with each shot, and each booming crack rang his ears even as the reports slammed into his chest almost physically. Later Fenn would remember the feeling as something akin to getting smacked in the chest by an open hand, but now he felt nothing. And then, after what seemed to be both an eternity and an instant, the rifle fired no more, its magazine spent in the revenge of its owner. Fenn drew in shaky breaths, the scope shifting over the target wildly. He noticed for the first time the blood splatters that were thrown against the wall in the sniper's grave, the dust settling around the body.

He tore the scope away from his eye then, and sat down heavily, impervious to the shouts of his comrades, some of whom having the audacity to congratulate him on a job well done. He brought a shaking hand to his face, not aware of the cold sweat that covered his entire body, nor the fact that his entire body was shivering as though he were freezing. He noticed his squad-mates moving into defensive positions around the Corpsman, who was tending to Sergeant Wilkins. As the distant stutter of an incoming helicopter rang against his ears, Fenn realized that someone was standing in front of him. He looked up, and realized that it was Marvin.

"Breathe, Fenn," the staff sergeant growled, his dark eyes boring into Fenn's. Fenn stared at him dumbly for a few seconds, but then did as he was told, taking in deep, sucking breaths. Slowly his senses returned to him, but he refused to look down at Pak. "Don't listen to these idiots," Marvin ordered quietly. "It is not okay."

"Fenn gulped, nodding. "Will it ever be okay again?"

Marvin paused, looking into the distance. After a while he looked back down to Fenn, an old pain lingering in his face. "No. This day will haunt you for the rest of your life, especially since you haven't had any sniper training." The beat of the chopper was louder now, and Marvin shifted his gaze to Wilkins. "Your sergeant is going to be alright, though he'll have an interesting scar for the rest of his life. He'll most likely even be able to talk again, but he's out of active service. They'll take him to the Philippines, and get a replacement for him, and we'll go on."

Fenn looked to his sergeant, remembering when he had brought him coffee and food. He'd be surprised if he saw him again. "How can you tell that he's going to be okay?"

Marvin grimaced, and Fenn regretted his question, though he didn't know why. "I've hit a few people at that same spot. The bullet entered to the left of the trachea, and missed the spine as well. He'll lose a lot of blood, but we got to him fast enough that they should be able to clamp the artery so he doesn't bleed out." Marvin looked at Fenn carefully, and nodded. "You did your fucking job, Fenn, even if things will never be the same again. That's all that anyone can ask for. Ooh-rah?"

Fenn's response was automatic. "Ooh-rah!" he barked back, but the dark look never left his eyes. Regardless, Marvin nodded.

"Get your shit together, corporal. We're heading out."

1 September; CRF Main Base, 09:43hrs; Himura Kenshin's POV:

"Leaping attack, high, left shoulder!" he barked, and Kaoru swung her bokken clumsily in a move that he knew she would have been able to do flawlessly had she been able to see. Already sweat was soaking her clothes, and she was panting heavily. Somehow, and Kenshin had _no_ idea how, he was ignoring just how entirely sexy she looked. Instead, he was concentrating on helping her practice her katsujin-ken. Even though it was really hard to ignore how her breasts strained against her bindings when she panted like that...

_Focus!_ he scolded himself. _**Aww, but you know you want to take her someplace private and-**_

At that, Kenshin ignored all other comments from his own personal peanut gallery. "Sweeping attack, right knee!" Instead of just whipping her bokken around to block the attack, she instead leapt into the air, swinging her bokken so that, had she really been attacked, it would have crashed against the elbow of her assailant. However, Kenshin saw that she would not land properly. Immediately, he was moving, rushing to his love, catching her before she hit the ground. She yelped, and twisted, trying to escape his grasp. "Kaoru-koishii, it's just me," he said calmly, pulling her into a hug. She collapsed against him, her chest heaving against his, her scent intoxicating. _**Now this is more like it!**_ Battôsai crooned. With a sigh, both Kenshin and Rurouni told him to shut up at the same time, with the same tone.

"Kenshin," Kaoru breathed almost sobbingly. "I can't...I can't do this! It's just so hard!"

_**You have no idea, babe**_, Battôsai lightly commented. Kenshin snapped. _Battôsai, Goddammit! Shut the fuck up!_ he snarled angrily. _This one would have to agree. Now is neither the time nor the place for that. It would be best for you to silence yourself_, Rurouni added, his voice strained. _**Fine, geez, you guys aren't fun anymore. I'll shut up...for now**_, Battôsai said, as petulantly as a five-year-old. Ignoring the hitokiri within, Kenshin began running his hands up and down Kaoru's back. "Koishii, it's okay. It will be a while before you get used to being blind, but you have one of the most defiant and strong spirits out there. You will be able to move on because that is who you are." As he talked, he noticed how Kaoru slowly relaxed, and he grinned, relieved. "The journey will not be easy, but nothing worth achieving is easy to get."

"Hai, Kenshin...demo..." Kaoru started hesitantly.

"Kaoru-koishii? What is it?" he asked, concern coloring his voice.

"What will I do...once you're gone?" she asked, her tone hurt, almost sounding broken.

Kenshin froze, his hands stilling on her back. "Kaoru...when did you hear that? I was planning on telling you myself."

Kaoru laughed humorlessly. "I am blind, not deaf, Kenshin. Everyone has been talking about how our soldiers are going to be moving out soon. When are you leaving?"

Kenshin sighed, her words eating at him. He knew he needed to go, but he so desperately wanted to stay with her so he could protect and nourish her. "One week," he whispered with a tortured voice. "I have one week before our unit moves out." At his words, Kaoru's shoulders started to shake. Kenshin winced, and drew her into a hug. "It's okay to cry, koishii."

Imagine his surprise when Kaoru tore away from his grasp and slapped him across the face, her expression thunderous. "Kenshin-no-baka!" she hissed even as a tear slipped down her cheek. "If you leave, how will I know that you will return? Shishio has armies vaster than any other military force around these days, and his rule spreads across several continents! We do not have the ability to contend with such a force! Kami-sama, it would be like a hornet against a man...you can hurt him, but he will _crush_ you! If you leave, Kenshin, you will die!"

"And if I stay here, then we ALL die!" Kenshin roared back, his temper getting the better of him. "Do you think that Katsura-san is so foolish as to have not thought of all this? He-"

"Oh, yes, Katsura-_san_," Kaoru interjected with a bitter laugh. "The man who was wandering the whole of Japan, lost for a good time while we were here, fighting for our very survival. Of course _he_ knows exactly what's going on all over the world!"

Kenshin stared at Kaoru with angered shock. This was not the woman he had fallen in love with. Something had happened to her, made her bitter and angry. _This one hates to make you look like a baka, Kenshin-san, but look at her eyes_. Kenshin shook his head, closing his eyes, trying to ignore the forming headache. "Kaoru-dono. Kogoro-san did not know what was going on until he arrived here. It was Shinomori-san who knows the events happening across the world. His intelligence service spans the world. What do you know about the events going on world-wide?"

Kaoru blinked, paused, her sightless eyes furrowing with thought. Kenshin sighed with relief at that. He had hoped that his calm words would make her see reason, because he didn't want to fight with her. It hurt him to know that he was causing her any pain. "The Americans are giving us support, by way of their fighter-jets and bombers...but I don't know anything else. There is a rumor of an American army inside of Japan, but that can't be."

"Oh, it can be, Kaoru-dono. There is an American Marine Corps division in Japan. In fact, they just liberated the city of Hamamatsu. They are headed to Kyoto, where they hope to capture or kill Shishio. Our forces will first head to Nikko, and then move for Utsunomiya before heading south on the Shinkansen. I know that our forces are small at the moment, but this is not the extent of the Chosu rebellion. We have forces all over Japan, just waiting for the signal to start fighting against the SIF, using acts of sabotage to weaken his military. Not only that, but the actual soldiers of our faction are heading for Nikko and Utsunomiya, so when we finally lay siege to Tokyo, our numbers will be comparable to that of a division. This is what is happening just in Japan, too.

"In Europe, the European States of Freedom are taking back their land at an unprecedented rate. The Russians are taking back their country, their anger unlike anything seen since World War Two. In south-east Asia, the USNA Army is aiding the oppressed countries, helping them defeat the SIF presence there. Ironically enough," he smirked, "the Vietnamese are proving to be their best allies, putting the past to rest as they fight for freedom. This war is not such a helpless cause as one would think, Kaoru-dono. It will be a hard fight, but Shishio is weakened. He will fall, that I can guarantee you."

Yet even at his confident words, Kaoru seemed to wilt, her countenance miserable. "Demo...what happens if you die?"

Kenshin sighed, and drew her into a hug. "Kaoru-dono, I swear that I will return to you. I can not promise that I won't die, for death has always been a close companion to me, but I _will_ return." At his words, Kaoru pulled back yet again, and hit him on the head with her bokken, far softer than she was capable of, but still pretty hard. "Orororooo..." Kenshin moaned, feeling the bump on his head with delicately probing fingers.

Kaoru snorted, and smiled, though her face was still sad. "Kenshin-no-baka, if you come back and haunt me, I am going to be very annoyed. I want the real you, not some annoying ghost, understand?" she scolded with a light voice, her mouth quirking. "And what the heck does 'oro' mean?"

Kenshin laughed at that, her words lightening the weight that seemed to be pressing against his chest. "This one has no idea, that I don't," he smiled. As he gently poked the bump, he paused, and looked at Kaoru with wide eyes. "Kaoru-dono. You hit me on the head."

Kaoru pouted, and settled the bokken onto her shoulders. "Hai, of course I did. Considering that I could have hit you in a more sensitive area, I think you-"

"Kaoru, you hit me directly on the head, even though you can't see," he interrupted, a grin spreading across his face.

Kaoru stopped, blinked, her brows furrowing slightly. Then she grinned, and it was the most sincere grin Kenshin had seen on her face in a long time. "Hai, that this one did, Kenshin-dono," she stated, perfectly imitating the wide-eyed and innocent face he wore when he slipped back into that persona. "I guess there is hope for me after all."

Kenshin smirked. "There has always been hope for you, Kaoru," he said, straining as he fought the urge to add in that insufferable 'dono'. Her words had been a slight barb reminding him that she did not appreciate his slipping back into over-politeness and modesty. "You just need to relax and stop telling yourself that it is impossible, koishii. It will be difficult, but it can be done." He drew her into a soft kiss, stroking the side of her face as he inhaled the slight aroma of jasmine that was wholly Kaoru. "I will miss you, koi," he whispered softly against her lips. "I will miss you so much it will be painful."

"I know, Kenshin," she murmured back as she buried her head into the crook of his neck. "What duties do you have to attend to this final week?" she asked as Kenshin wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"Katsura-san has given me this entire week off, so that I might be able to fully rest and recuperate my strength." He kissed her shoulder softly, trying to reassure her. "Do you still want to continue training?"

She shook her head, her pony tail swishing against her back, her bangs tickling his neck. "I'm tired, Kenshin. I don't think I'm up to any more practice."

That alone made Kenshin worried, because he knew that Kaoru had practiced for many hours a day before she was blinded, and they hadn't even practiced for half-an-hour yet. Yet, he couldn't force her to practice. He would just have to build her strength back up over time. "Hai, koishii. Are you hungry? I heard that Megumi-dono was going to make some ohagi...there might still be some left if we hurry."

Yet Kaoru shook her head again. "I'm tired, Kenshin. I think it would be best if we took a nap." Kenshin was just about to protest, for he wasn't very tired, but he then noticed just how Kaoru was clutching his sides desperately.

"Hai, Kaoru. Let's head back to my quarters." He took her hand in his, and led the way. Upon reaching his room, he spent the next hour trying to make her forget the woes in her life. Afterwards, he discovered that they were both sleepy, and so took her up on the offer for a nap.

1 September; CRF Main Base, 14:02hrs; Myōjin Yahiko's POV:

His day sucked. That was the only way to put it. It began when he woke up at four in the morning and couldn't fall asleep again. He wasn't allowed outside because it was too early and only military personnel could be outside at the time, and he couldn't practice his katas because he was in a barracks, which also meant he couldn't complain too loudly. At five, he could finally go outside, so he headed for the mess-hall, only to find out that they were going to serve breakfast at six instead of five like usual. So now he was hungry, grumpy, and had to wait another hour before eating.

So he practiced his katas, only he then landed on a loose stone, and nearly broke his ankle. It hurt terribly, and he didn't want to continue because he didn't want to hurt himself any further. So he sat, sullenly, in front of the mess-hall until it opened, and he could finally get some breakfast...only to find out that the food sucked more than usual. He still ate it, but his stomach complained for quite a while, causing his misery to become a fair deal worse.

Of course, this didn't stop him from doing his duty. He had volunteered to help repair the defenses damaged in the fighting, and so he helped moved sand-bags from the area where they were being filled to the mortar emplacement. This stressed his ankle, but it didn't hurt as much, so he dealt with it, ignoring the twinges and only complaining with the occasional muttered dark curse. Unfortunately, he was heard by one of the women of the base who was pregnant, and was then scolded out for using foul language. Seriously, what was up with being pregnant? Did that make it legal for women to rip you a new one for something as stupid as cussing? Really!

After his ears stopped ringing, he continued his chore, until he passed by a trio of soldiers heading to the frontline. This was a normal occurrence, but these three were munching on ohagi. Yum. He _loved_ ohagi. So he asked them where they got it, and they laughed, and said that if 'the kid wanted some ohagi, he could go get some from the mess'. Normally he would have snapped a retort that he wasn't a kid, but it was ohagi, and he wasn't going to take a chance of not getting it just because he was rude. Upon finding out that it was Sagara Megumi who made the ohagi, he nearly sprint to the mess-hall, hurt ankle be damned.

Yet, no surprise, he arrived to find Sanosuke eating the last of the treats. To say he snapped was an understatement. Which led to Sanosuke making several biting remarks about how a kid didn't deserve ohagi if he couldn't show up on time, which led to him gnawing on the taller man's head, which led to Sano giving him a noogie, which led to...well, you get the idea. Half-an-hour later and several times sorer, he headed to the training hall, where he expected to find Kenshin and Kaoru. Just because Kaoru was blind didn't mean that she couldn't drill him and endure his teasing her, mainly by calling her 'busu' no matter how false _that_ statement was...

But the two weren't there. So he headed to Kenshin's quarters, and heard sounds that he did NOT want to connect to Kaoru and Kenshin. Gagging and clapping his hands over his ears, he ran away as quickly as he could. Deciding to find Kenji, he scoured the area of the base that the younger people (himself included, he noted dourly) were restricted to. He found the young Himura, who he was glad to note looked up to _him_ as a hero, picking up the spent brass shell casings from the upper combat positions. So he spent the next couple of hours stooped over, with an aching back, picking up everything from the big artillery shell casings down to the smaller casings that came from spent assault rifle bullets. Finally, it was time for lunch, and he made his way over to the mess-hall, yet again, and got his food. Of course it was only marginally better than breakfast was, and it sent his stomach into another wave of complaints.

Afterwards he finally hooked up with Kaoru and Kenshin, where Kaoru drilled him hard, with Kenshin watching and correcting his stance when it was needed. After two hours, they finally stopped, and he left only after leaving one last snarky comment: _geez, you two, you need to keep it down the next time you do THAT_...of course, this did not amuse Kaoru, and she shouted at him as he fled, laughing. He knew he would pay for it tomorrow, and it really hadn't been worth it. He wouldn't be surprised if Kenshin had a man-to-man talk, because Kaoru was hurt, and didn't need the teasing.

He sighed, scratching his head as he looked up to the sky that was covered with puffy clouds. At least they hadn't been attacked in a while. He didn't know why, and he didn't particularly care. He knew that it was probably because that bastard Shishio was getting ready for one massive attack that would wipe them out, but that would come when it would come...for now, he enjoyed the peace and quiet.

"Yahiko-chan?" a soft voice called, and Yahiko sat up again, looking at the owner of that sweet beautiful voice with wide eyes. Then her words actually registered.

"Tsubame! Yahiko-_kun_, not Yahiko-chan!" he snapped, his brows gathering with ire. "I'm not a little kid!"

Tsubame flinched, and immediately he felt like hitting himself. "I-I'm sorry, Yahiko-ch...kun. I d-didn't mean to call you little."

He growled softly, scuffing his toe in the dirt. "I'm sorry for snapping at you," he muttered softly. "I just don't like being called a kid." He studied his feet, his ears flaming. What was he supposed to say now? He blinked, and cursed himself as he realized she looked slightly uncomfortable as she stood there. "P-please, sit down!"

Smiling softly, her timidity almost forgotten, she sat down next to him, smoothing down her skirt. "So, Yahiko-kun," she asked, and he watched how her lips moved, entranced at how soft they looked, "why did you call me here?" It took him a moment to realize that she asked him a question.

"Oh. Why did I ask you here?" he laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his head again. "I asked you to meet me here because I...I wanted to know how you were doing..."

She blinked, and withdrew slightly. "I'm...doing well. I've found it hard to make friends here, but there is a nice lady who looks after me. She said she owned a restaurant in Tokyo before she came here, and that if I wanted a job after this is over, she would hire me and let me live with her. I think I'll take her up on the offer, because she said that after Shishio is overthrown, then she'll need all the help she can get, and...oh, I'm sorry," she murmured, her head bowing. "I'm rambling."

Yahiko shook his head. "Naw. This is interesting, it really is. Actually, I wanted to know if you wanted to be..." he started, but then paused, unable to say it, his cheeks flaming. "If you wanted to be..." he tried again, and winced as she turned questioning eyes on him. "Ifyouwantedtobefriends," he said in a rush. _Coward!_ he screamed at himself. _You want to be more than friends, say it_!

But then she smiled, her doe-like eyes twinkling with joy. "Hai, Yahiko-kun. I would love to be your friend."

Maybe this day wasn't so bad after all...


	25. Tearful Farwells

**AN- I'm so sorry that this chapter is as late as it is, and as short as it is. However, my motivation for this story really hasn't been all that high. I will finish it, eventually, but chapters will be coming slowly. Anyone who actually cares about this story, I'm sorry. Some of the reasons why I've been so busy and unmotivated is that I don't have any school, having graduated last June. I don't have a job, but have moved all of my belongings beack to New York state from South Carolina, and am now living in the house I grew up in. Of course, that isn't the biggest event in my life recently.**

**On October 3rd, 2008, anniversery of Operation Gothic Serpent (which Black Hawk Down was based on) I swore into the United States Army. I will be going to basic training on January 8th, and I will be gone for almost six months before my entire training period will be over with. I will be going into the 403rd Civil Affairs Battalion, which is a reservist unit. The unit's motto is 'To Win Hearts and Minds' and that explains exactly what my mission will be. I will be working hard to ensure not only the survival but the very well-being of people who have been hit hard by war, primarily Iraq and Afghanistan. I wanted to get in at least one more chapter before I went, so here it is.**

**Read and Enjoy!**

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

TEARFUL FAREWELLS

Yukishiro Enishi scowled heavily as he strolled along the pathways of one of his hidden bases. The mists hanged heavily off of the towering mountains, but he paid no attention to the beauty of the countryside around him. He had been hearing rumors that he did not particularly like. A handful of men came down the path, rounding one of the large tents that dominated the camp. Enishi noticed them, and tensed, but then relaxed when he saw that they were clothed in worn but well cared for camouflaged uniforms. Survivors of the long routed Chinese People's Liberation Army.

As they approached him, they noticed him, and they got off the wooden-plank path and stood in the mud, bowing slightly at the waist as he passed. He nodded to each of them as he continued down the path, showing them proper respect as their civilian leader...their only leader. After all, their military leadership had fallen apart when Shishio took over their land. Officers that had enough authority to rally and use troops were either paid off by Shishio or had led their men on suicide missions against the SIF. Indeed, the highest ranking officer working for Enishi was a Shao Xiao, or Major, by the name of Kong Jiao-hui.

When he had first met the Major, he hadn't liked the man. He had been running his mafia for a good while at that point, and he didn't think that he needed anymore help...nor anymore mouths to feed. So when Kong showed up with a depleted company of hungry soldiers asking for aid, Enishi had not been happy, to say the least. But then he discovered that not only were they special forces, they had also been conducting a successful guerrilla campaign against several of Shishio's outposts and supply lines.

Not only that, but the silver-haired mafia leader only had goons and a select few specialists under his order. Useful for crimes and other such petty ordeals, but not any good when it came to military campaigns. As soldiers learned of the mafia's new support, they came trickling in until there were nearly four thousand soldiers in the organization.

Of course, Enishi was well aware of the discord that that created. Oddly enough, the soldiers preferred his leadership over Woo Heishin's, despite the fact that Woo was their countryman. So while Woo was second only to Enishi in the organization, the soldiers followed Enishi first, and Kong second. For them, Kong was the _de facto_ second-in-command, Woo be damned. Of course, Woo did not appreciate this.

Instead of concentrating on stopping Shishio's forces, Woo had begun to restructure the organization behind Enishi's back. What few soldiers had positions of authority were demoted, or died in 'accidents'. Soon the only people in charge were the goons who looked to Woo as their leader. Enishi could smell a coup coming, and he did not appreciate how Woo was orchestrating the entire thing. Yet, it was not surprising whatsoever.

Before the epidemic, Woo had been one of the main suppliers to Shishio, and Enishi had been under the little weasel's command as one of his lieutenants. But then the virus was unleashed, and the violent shift in the organization's structure led Enishi to the top...and in opposition to Shishio. Woo had come down with a mild case of the plague that caused the weak man to spend two months under the supervision of the finest doctors and his personal guard. While Enishi was ill, he was forcing his body to function, filling the void that Woo left, as well as the power vacuums caused by the deaths of some of the other organization leaders. It was only later that Enishi discovered that Woo had been given an antidote that would stave off the worst of the disease's symptoms. It had been a personal gift from Shishio.

But his absence was his undoing. Now Enishi was in charge, and the members looked up to him as the man who stayed with them, leading them even through the worst of his illness. Woo was not as popular, nor as charismatic. He would have to bide his time. So he did, making his moves carefully, so that when he struck, Enishi wouldn't be able to fight back. The one thing that Woo wasn't counting on was the soldiers. Still, Enishi knew he would go along with his plan. It was the way Woo thought. The soldiers were pawns to be used and discarded in favor of other gains. Enishi knew in the depths of his heart that is Woo won the coup, he would wholeheartedly support Shishio, for that was the most...rewarding course to take. The little bastard didn't care if Shishio lived or died. He was only concerned with making a profit.

But if he won, there would be no revenge...Shishio would not be killed for ending Nii-san's life. That. Was. _**NOT**_. Acceptable. As the dark thoughts plagued him, Enishi started to round the corner, his face probably fearsome indeed. Yet before he could get out of sight of the soldiers, one of them called out to him. "Enishi-sama! I have eyes and ears, and know what is going on around us. Let me tell you a saying: 'If a man waits for the king cobra to strike first, he will suffer greatly. It is best to destroy it before it has its chance.'"

Enishi blinked, perusing the man, who was only a young Shao Wei, a second lieutenant. "I had hoped to avoid that, but if it has come to that point..." He sighed heavily, but turned on his heel, and headed to his personal quarters. Soon he'd be heading towards the organization's head base. No one would get in the way of his Jinchū of Shishio Makoto!

8 September, CRF Main Base, 04:56hrs, Himura Kenshin's POV:

He hated the fact that she was crying. Yet if he wanted to preserve her happiness, he had to go. He sighed as he finished tying his boots, listening to her sniffles and choked back sobs. "Kaoru-koishii...you know as well as I do that if I could stay I would, but there is no one else capable of dueling Shishio. Aoshi and Saitō might contend against him, but I'm the one who will most likely be able to succeed against him." Tucking away the excess lengths of the bootlaces, he turned, and drew her into an embrace, glad to feel her warmth through his camouflaged uniform and web gear. He kissed her softly and passionately, wishing with all his heart they could do more. They had made love twice the previous night, for both of them knew that he might never return. Banishing this thought, he kissed her gently on the cheek.

"Wh-what happens...if you don't return?" she gasped, trying in vain to hold back her tears.

"I will return, you can be sure of that," he reassured he, despite the misgivings of his own heart. The battlefield was governed solely by luck...what if a stray bullet found his flesh...what if an artillery shell landed too close...what if, what if...?

"But what if you _don_'_t_?" she persisted. "What will I do if you can never return to me, Kenshin. I've already lost so much! My parents, my home, my sight...what happens if I lose you too, and I'm left with so little?"

He sighed, drawing her into one last tight embrace. Glancing at his watch, he scowled. He had to leave. "You will find a way to survive, for that is who you are. If I do not return, Yahiko will aid you in your recovery, as well as any of my friends." Giving her one last loving squeeze, he stood and strode to the door as he picked up the rest of his gear. "I think the one thing that I will miss the most will be holding you, Kaoru-koishii."

"I will miss that too, Kenshin." As he opened the door, he felt more than heard her tense. "Kenshin..." she murmured, and he paused, wondering what else she had to say. "Try to kill as few people as possible. Remember that most of them are being forced to fight. They have no future other than Shishio's bidding."

"Hai, Kaoru. I will try." He gripped the doorway tightly, tears prickling the corners of his eyes. "Sayonara, koishii," he said, voice wavering as a tear tracked down the side of his face. As he shut the door behind him, he could hear Kaoru's broken sounding sobs, and it took all of his willpower to continue forward. If he wanted to preserve her happiness, he would have to endure this tearful farewell. Hitokiri Battôsai was going to war one last time...


	26. Operational Orders

**AN- Sorry this took so long, but I've been through Army basic training, and am now about a third of the way through my twelve week long MOS training. I don't know how much I'll be able to write until I get out of training and go back home, but I will continue to work on it. I just wanted to give this chapter to those who have been waiting on it for so long. Enjoy it guys, and as always, I ask that you review.**

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

OPERATIONAL ORDERS

"What do you mean, I'm not going with the army?" Kenshin asked, both shocked and angry. His place was with his fellow CRF soldiers, and now he was being told that he wasn't going to stay with them? How could Katsura be telling him this?

"We have news that Shishio is in Kyoto, but we can't divert our forces from their attack on Tokyo. The Americans won't be any match for Shishio's personal guards, so we need our most skilled fighters to go join the American Marine division. We'll be evacuating the safe-house, as well. Due to the last battle with Shishio's forces, we lost too many soldiers to properly defend here anymore, so we're taking the women and children with us to one of the newly liberated cities. However, I know that Shinomori-san is taking Makimachi-san with him, given her kunoichi training. Sagara-san and Saitō-san are having their wives stay with the main army as it heads for Tokyo. Do you want Kamiya-san and Kenji-kun to do the same?"

Pursing his lips together, Kenshin nodded. It was far safer for them in Tokyo, and he wouldn't have to worry about protecting them while he dueled Shishio. He would have to have his mind completely clear for that fight, or else he would lose, without a doubt. "How are the Americans doing?"

"They are nearing the outskirts of Kyoto, and are requesting the location of Shishio's secret lair."

Kenshin grimaced. "They wouldn't be able to assault it with a sizable force, Shishio would have counter-measures against such a thing. They would suffer terrible casualties."

"The Americans know this. Instead, they are proposing that they send a Scout/Sniper team to overwatch the area, and send in a small strike team..."

His grimace grew wider. "Us. I should have expected the Americans to have us be the ones stepping into the lion's den while they waited around doing nothing. I had hoped for better, since they are Marines, but America has changed so much..."

Katsura shook his head. "They will be liberating Kyoto, which is instrumental in toppling Shishio's empire. That's where he has his best soldiers are, and they aren't few in number. It's going to be difficult enough for us to liberate Japan without worrying about several divisions of elite soldiers at our back. You could at least try to show allied soldiers some respect."

Kenshin bowed. "Gomen nasai, Katsura-dono. I'm just concerned about this last battle. I didn't want to be separated from the Army."

Katsura waved his hand. "Perfectly understandable...just remember that before you were a _hitokiri_ you were a Marine. I'm sure that it will be at least partially reassuring to return to the military branch you initially served in."

Kenshin nodded. "I will try and remember that, Katsura-dono, though I hope you can understand why I'm not jumping for joy at the moment."

Katsura smirked. "Indeed. Well, let us make plans before I send you to the Americans."

"_Hai_, Katsura-dono!"

8 September, China Mainland, 1132hrs, Enishi Yukishiro's POV:

He scowled at the sniveling form of Wu Heishin before him. The fool had not expected Enishi to challenge him hopefully, and his 'four stars' stood no match for his strength. It was such a pathetic fight that it was barely worth mentioning. "You should have known better than going behind my back, Wu!" he snarled. "This is _my_ organization, not yours, you stupid bastard. Don't you know that your precious Shishio is being defeated even as we speak?"

There was a commotion at the edge of the crowd that had formed to watch Enishi defeat Wu and his goons. "Sir! Sir! I've got bad news!" a runner shouted, and Enishi motioned forward with his hand. "Outpost thirteen reports a large formation of cargo planes heading towards Japan...there were enough of them to be moving at least three divisions worth of troops and equipment!" the man panted, fear in his eyes.

Wu began to cackle through his broken mouth and nose. "Don' you shee? There'sh no beating him, he hash all thingsh planned for!"

Enishi scowled at him for a moment before smirking. "Then I hoped he planned for this: you!" he said, pointing to his communications officer. "Contact the American fleet and give them the heading of the air fleet. Tell them they have some birds to hunt." Turning away from his once second-in-command, he spat in disgust. "Get this rat out of my sight. Do with him what you will, so long as I never see him again."

8 September; Sea of Japan; UCNA Navy, Seventh Fleet; 1400hrs:

By the time the Chinese Mafia report had come in, the Seventh Fleet already had most of its fighters and support aircraft up in the sky. Earlier in the day, they had received encrypted data-bursts from several of their most trusted eyes in the Middle East, and all had said the same thing: Shishio's crack divisions were being loaded up and flown away. Now that they had they approximated position of the enemy air units, they had been sending reconnaissance flights into the area. Ten minutes ago, it had been reported: extensive jamming in three areas, and eyes-on-target in one of those areas. It didn't take long for a response to form up.

A quarter of the strike aircraft were already in Japanese airspace, providing air-support for the Marines, and a quarter would remain and provide cover for the fleet. The rest would move on to engage the SIF aircraft, and the attack force would be split into two groups, the actual attacking fighters and then the rest of the fighters in reserve and the AWACS and support craft. Considering the fact that the Seventh Fleet, the largest in the UCNA armada, had three hundred fifty aircraft to its name, this was an impressive show of force.

The attack group was given simple orders from the Vice Admiral himself: destroy as many of the aircraft as possible so that our Marines don't have to fight them on the ground. The attack group, made up of two squadrons of fighters and two AWACS craft, flew off to do their deadly work. The "Royal Maces" of the Strike Fighter Squadron 27 were going to be the attackers, and each of their F/A-18E Super Hornet Fighters were loaded with four AIM-132 ASRAAMs and two AIM-120 AMRAAMs. The F/A-18Fs of the "Diamondbacks" of the Strike Fighter Squadron 102 were armed with the same missiles, and each squadron had twenty-four fighters. They were some of the best pilots in theater, and they had been itching for a major air battle for a long time. They were finally going to be getting it.

The enemy squadrons were flying in from the south, about one hundred miles off of the southernmost tip of Japan. They were probably planning to swing up from the southeast and avoid the worst of the UCNA fighters. It had been a good plan, except they had been found out. The UCNA fighters and support craft flew in on them as 'quietly' as they could, the fighters with their radars turned completely off, and the AWACS operating on the lowest power level, just so they could keep an eye on the jamming cloud. They could only hope that the jamming was interfering with the SIF radar, because the enemy pilots _had_ to be sitting on the edges of their seats.

Luck was with the UCNA. Once they were ten miles out, all the Royal Maces activated their radar, and their AWACS bird focused a beam of energy onto the jammed cloud, which was enough to illuminate the enemy planes doing the jamming itself. Twelve Royal Maces selected one of the four craft, and let fly an AMRAAM with a chorus of "Fox three!" Almost before the first volley of missiles had a chance to clear their racks, the other twelve Maces selected a cargo plane and let loose with one AMRAAM apiece. Now was when it was most dangerous for them. The enemy fighters were already reacting to their attack, and the cargo planes were pulling evasive maneuvers. To keep the missiles locked on to their targets, the Royal Maces had to keep their noses pointed at each of the lumbering birds...would their missiles hit their targets first or would the enemy missiles destroy them first. The air battle suddenly became a game of chicken, with all stakes riding on what hit who first. Almost simultaneously the threat boards on the F/A-18s lit up, and the pilots and gunners all flinched slightly. They were being actively targeted. An eternity later, the AMRAAMs made contact with the cargo planes and jammers. All jammers were destroyed, and of the fourteen heavy cargo planes eight were destroyed and one was wounded. Three AMRAAMs completely missed their targets.

Meanwhile the Royal Maces were pulling hard evasive maneuvers, weaving dizzying contrails through the air, and moments later the enemy missiles were on them. Within one minute seven Maces were shot down, and then the SIF fighters closed the final distance, resulting in fierce dog-fighting. It was in this arena that the Maces had the advantage, however. Five minutes later, three more Maces were shot down, but all enemy fighters were destroyed. Setting in pursuit of the fleeing cargo planes, the Maces radioed the Diamondbacks to take the western most group of jammers, so that they could come in simultaneously on the middle group.

Within half-an-hour the mission was complete, though the Maces suffered fifty percent casualties and the Diamondbacks lost eleven fighters. It was costly, but they had prevented a rapid re-deployment of a great number of enemy soldiers and material. Of course...they didn't know about the division that had been sent to the north instead of the south, and wouldn't know until it was too late. Nonetheless, if they hadn't intercepted the forces that they had, the Marines and the CRF would have undoubtedly been destroyed...

8 September, CRF Main Base, Kaoru's POV, 1532hrs:

"Come on, Yahiko!" she hissed. "We have to hurry!" It had taken all day, but finally the CRF were leaving the base that had been the sight of a great many battles. Right now she was hoping to use the confusion to hop a ride with the strike force that was heading for Kyoto. It had to be done carefully, and she knew that if she got caught she was going to be in a lot of trouble, but she had to try. She couldn't just break down and cry just because Kenshin was leaving her for Kyoto...no, she had to try and join him. He would need all the help he could get. For good or for ill, she would be with him for the final battle.

"Alright, busu! Geez, give me a moment. These things take timing." Kaoru suddenly almost felt sorry for Yahiko. She was asking him to draw on his experiences as a pick-pocket to get them on one of the the helicopters heading for Kyoto. His palms were sweaty, and she could feel how tense he was. Swallowing dryly, she opened her mouth, almost prepared to tell him that she changed her mind when he jerked her forward. She stumbled, but immediately taking higher steps. She knew that she had to look foolish, but if she fell it would all be over.

Quickly the sound of beating rotors overwhelmed her sense of hearing, and the smell of jet fuel clogged her nose. She hesitated as the wind began pushing against her with, whipping her clothes and hair about her face. It seemed like she was going to run right into the blades of the copter. "Come _on,_ Kaoru! We have to hurry!" Yahiko's voice gave her the courage to take those last few steps, and soon Yahiko was pulling her up onto a helicopter's deck. "There's some stuff back here, we have to hid under it if we want to get away with this!" he hissed just loudly enough to be heard over the noise of the engine and the rotors. "The pilot and copilot are in the cockpit, so keep quiet!"

With bated breath, the two of them crept towards the rear of the bay, and she felt Yahiko pulling and pushing at what she assumed were rucksacks and crates of supplies. "Alright, follow me. I really hope you know what you're doing, busu." As they crawled into their hiding place, Kaoru secretly wished for the same thing...


	27. Leave No Man Behind

**AN- Okay, so it's been more than a year and a half. Whoops. Turns out that my unit didn't deploy to Iraq, and then I joined ROTC so I can't be deployed, and then I started several other stories, while this one gathered cyber dust. I'm so, so sorry. I'm starting work on the next chapter, and I will strive to get it updated before December. This chapter hasn't changed much, except for the very end. I realized that Shishio wouldn't demand that Kenshin use a sakabatou, that's against everything that Shishio is and does. So now, I've figured out a different way that the sakabatou is introduced. Once again, my apologies.**

**Please read, enjoy, and review! **

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

LEAVE NO MAN BEHIND

9 September, just outside of Kyoto, 0642hrs:

"-can't answer you, sir, we're _busy_!" Bullets rang against the armor plating of the humvee as it roared through the streets of outskirts Kyoto. Sergeant Gonzalez was in the turret, trying his damndest to keep track of all the enemies that were trying to kill him and his fellow Marines.

"Machine gun nest, ten o'clock high!" he shouted as he spun the turret. Didn't bother to aim, just pointed the .50 cal and pressed down on the trigger. Bullets danced up the side of the building, blasting chunks out of the wall until they found the nest. Gonzalez tried to hold the .50 steady, but they hit a pothole and he was thrown forward. By the time he recovered, the nest was out of his engagement zone. Yeah, he could have rotated the turret all the way around, but then nobody would be watching the front. Cursing, he turned his weapon towards the front, and continued engaging targets as fast as he could spot them, all while shouting out anything significant he saw, be it anti-tank weapons, mines, road blocks, anything. The humvee column turned the corner, and he cursed as he noticed that there were a lot of enemy soldiers in upper stories. "Gunny, we need to think about heading back!" A flash erupted from a store window, and a rocket streaked past the side of the vehicle, missing it by mere inches. "Jesus Chr-!" A bullet caught him in the temple, and all he felt was a sharp sting before he died. His body rag-dolled, falling limp in the strap strung from side to side of the turret.

"Gonzalez is hit!"

"Someone get on the fifty! Get on the fucking fifty!"

"This is Gunny Hartman, we have a man down. We are receiving heavy fire, and request permission to RTB, over!"

"Permission granted. New coordinates are being uploaded to your GPS. Rendezvous at delta three. Over."

"Roger, out!" A rocket slammed into the building right next to them, sending smoke and debris hurtling into the vehicle. "Private, get us the fuck out of here!" The humvee's engine roared and the vehicle shot forward, the rest of the convoy following suit. Twenty minutes later, the convoy was in an area where, while they still received fire, it was greatly diminished and the Marines collectively breathed a sigh of relief. The sound of approaching helicopters ended their relief, and the gunners on the humvees cursed as the scanned the skies, searching for the aircraft that would undoubtedly decimate their column. Two helicopters roared over an apartment building, but before anyone could engage it, the order sounded out: "Cease fire, CEASE FIRE!"

The second the order was comprehended, everyone could see why…those helicopters were cobras…the US Army had arrived? A pair of M1A2 Abrams escorting six Strikers and three Bradleys rumbled around the corner, and the Marine humvees pulled to the side as the armored column rolled up alongside them. Gunny Hartman climbed out of his seat and shook his head in amazement. "Doctrine normally states that I'm supposed to act all cocky and self-assured, but holy dogshit is it good to see some fellow Americans!" he hollered, grin splitting his face.

The tank commander on the lead Abrams laughed. "Well, fuck, we couldn't let you jarheads have all the glory. After the politicians back home told us to attack you…well, you can guess what's going on back stateside. Those corrupt mothers are paying, let's just leave it at that. We're part of the first division to show up, and rumor has it that there are at least two more on the way, stepping off from the Phillipinnes."

"What about the SIF armies in China, Russia, and Europe? I'd hate to have those motherfuckers give a surprise party, y'know?"

"Hell, they're having a hard enough time holding their own…the Russians and the Europeans aren't taking too much ground, but if the SIF try to withdraw in force, they'll be slaughtered. The Chinese Resistance forces are getting hammered, but it's the same deal, especially since we now have air superiority. All we have to do is kill Shishio, the sick fuck! Which way is it to the battle?"

Hartman jabbed his thumb backwards. "Just follow the rocket craters, and you'll find it. They're thick as fleas back there, and more pissed than a bunch of hornets. Shouldn't be too hard for you Dog Feet to take care of."

"Hooah, Marine!"

"Ooh-rah, Soldier!"

The armor rolled on, already joined by five more Infantry Fighting Vehicles, and to a man, all the Marines were grinning like idiots. The 1st UCNA Marine Division would win in the end, even unassisted, but it wouldn't have been good for morale…they wouldn't ever admit it, but they were getting tired of the campaign, of seeing their buddies get killed. Later, after the war was over, the Marines who fought the long campaign made sure that the historians got it right, that it was the Marines who won the war, not the Army. The Army served as little more than last minute reinforcements and morale boosters. Shockingly enough, the Army would actually give in to the demands of the Marine Corps, but that's a story for another time. As the humvee column raced for the rendezvous point and the sounds of battle renewed behind them, including the heavy blasts of tanks firing and the stuttering roars of helicopters making attack passes, the Marines could only breathe easier, the same though running through their minds: _Finally, it's over. We've _won!

10 September; North of Kyoto, 15:32 hours; Corporal Matthew Fenn, (reassigned):

Fenn lay motionless besides Staff Sergeant Marvin, trying not to breathe too loudly for fear of pissing the man off. It had taken the two of them an entire day to scale the mountain bluffs that surrounded Shishio's 'secret' hideout, a secret base until satellites had a few passes…now the main entrance and three secondary entrances were known about…having a large outdoor dojo in plain view of satellites that could read a newspaper from orbit wasn't entirely bright, but then again Shishio was a known wack job, it was probably an attempt to be boastful…'here I am, and yet you can't touch me.' extensive SAM coverage prevented airstrikes, even cruise missile strikes, and nukes were completely out of the question.

Even now, those SAM sites were being enough of a pain in the ass, and Shishio still had at least a division stationed in Kyoto, maybe two with the troops he conscripted into service, and at least one more division being moved from outside the city…they had taken a very direct route into Kyoto, with a lot of garrisons left untouched in the towns and cities surrounding, and just as the Marine Corps and the Army was pushing into Kyoto, SIF reinforcements were also pouring in. Both sides had the same amount of munitions, and roughly equal levels of morale…it would come down to who had more troops coming in, more than anything. Maybe most importantly, who killed the other side's leadership first.

That's what he and Marvin were doing up in this windy little bluff, looking down on the dojo. If Shishio or any of his high ranking officers came into the open area, they had orders to engage and engage decisively. In other words, as Marvin put it the previous day, put two rounds into them…a bullet in the chest to knock them down and then a bullet in the head. After their briefing, they had geared up with extra food and then climbed a mountain that was supposed to be impossible to climb, slipping past at least one hundred soldiers patrolling the area. Fenn had been worried that he would have given the two of them away, considering his lack of training at being stealthy, but Marvin had told him that if he moved only when he moved, they'd make it. Amazingly, they did. And now…they waited, waited for the most opportune moment. Even as his fellow Americans, Canadians, and Mexicans died in Kyoto, he had to keep patient, and watch this boring little dojo, waiting for the most hated man in the world to show himself.

10 September; UCNA Mobile HQ, outside of Kyoto, 18:06hrs; Himura Kenshin's POV:

He sat in the helicopter as it made its descent towards the helipad, brooding. "Geez, Kenshin, yer starting to look like Shinomori," Sano shouted over the sound of the rotors, a lopsided grin splitting his face.

"Fuck off," he muttered darkly, his hand tightening on the sheath of his katana.

Sano snorted at that, ignoring the dry look he got from Aoshi, and Saitō was ignoring all of them, like usual. "How come you're so pissed, man? We're going after Shishio himself, that should make you glad, you finally have a chance to take the fucker down!"

"That's not why he's angry," Saitō said, tone biting. "If you bothered to learn how to sense ki, you would know why he's pissed, baka." The helicopter flared for its landing, the sound of the rotors increasing exponentially. That, coupled with the now audible American personnel and vehicles and the sound of dirt being washed up by the wind of the helicopter drowned out Sano's angry retort, but Kenshin didn't care. The second the helicopter touched down and stopped moving, he was standing up and heading towards their pile of gear.

"Kaoru-dono, Yahiko-kun, come out." He knew his voice was cold, far colder than he had ever used on the two, but he was very angry at them. There was a moment of shock in their two kis, and a short pause before they emerged from under the pile of duffel bags and rucksacks. "Why are you here?" he asked, words clipped as he tried to keep his temper in check. "Don't you know what kind of danger you've put yourselves into? Don't you know just where the hell you are? I asked you two to go to Tokyo where it would be safer, not come to where Shishio is the most powerful! Kuso!" he hissed, the hand gripping his katana's sheath so tight that the steel creaked and his knuckles were white as bone. "Why? Why the _hell_ are you here?"

Both Kaoru and Yahiko flinched at his last question, the boy looking down, shame coloring his cheeks while Kaoru refused to look down or away, tears tracking down her cheeks. "Kenshin…are you really so angry that we are here?"

He stared at her, wishing that she could see him if only to see his expression. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, he sighed, shoulders slumping. "A part of me…yes. The other part…is relieved. Come on, we need to get this gear moved off the copter so that it can move. The Americans are ferrying in a lot of troops and equipment by helicopter."

Minutes later, the group was shielding their eyes as the helicopter lifted off, and Kenshin shouldered his duffel as he held Kaoru close with his other arm. "Kaoru-koishii, I just wanted you to be safe, and it's far more dangerous here than it is on the way to Tokyo."

She found his hand with her own and squeezed it, feet never missing a step even though she couldn't see. "I know, Kenshin, but I feel far safer by your side than I would have with the entire CRF Army surrounding me."

"Still, Kaoru, you aren't going to be spending your time by my side while in Kyoto…no, you're going to be staying with Misao and the oniwaban group in the city. Shishio no doubt knows that we're here, and will issue a challenge soon enough. The American military is good enough, but Shishio is holding back…I know him and the way he fights. Even now while it looks like he's on the brink of defeat, he has his best soldiers in reserve, waiting for his order to attack. Shishio may be mad, but he is no fool, and he is a master strategist. This fight is far fro-"

"You certainly are intelligent, Battôsai-san!" a cheerful voice chirped. "Master Shishio is right to be cautious of you."

Kenshin cursed, and wheeled about, holding Kaoru by his side protectively. "Seta Soujiro!" he growled, and the young man only smiled wider before bowing at the waist respectfully. Satisfied that Kaoru was safely behind him, he let go of her, his hand flying to his sword hilt.

"Oh, don't worry about that, Battôsai-san, I'm not here to fight, I'm only here to deliver a message." His twinkling eyes fell on Kaoru, and the widened momentarily before resuming their customary cheerful look. "Gomen nasai, Kamiya-san, for abducting you earlier, but you know how things are…orders are orders, and one does not deny Master Shishio something once he orders it."

"Your message!" Kenshin bit out, and Soujiro bobbed his head, still smiling, seemingly unconcerned with the fact that he was in the middle of an enemy encampment. Kenshin knew this was as much a message as whatever Shishio had told him to say…no one was safe, no matter where they were. Even now, if Kenshin raised the alarm, he had no idea if he would be able to kill Soujiro before the younger man escaped, and he certainly didn't know how many American soldiers the assassin would kill while fleeing. Soujiro was the only man that Kenshin knew was faster than him.

"My message for you, Battôsai-san, is this: Shishio looks forward to crossing blades with you, and will duel you in the old ways. He has only one term for this duel: that you come only with Shinomori Aoshi, Saitō Hajime, and Sagara Sanosuke. If you come with anyone else, Shishio will not be responsible for the use of weapons of mass destruction by his field officers in an attempt to secure victory from the foreign invaders. That is all." Soujiro waved, and tensed before flickering out of view, his smile seemingly the last thing to disappear.

Kenshin only stared at the place where the young assassin had stood before spinning on his heel, once again holding Kaoru, only this time in an attempt to anchor himself for fear of acting like anything was out of the ordinary. Weapons of mass destruction…nukes? Poisonous gasses? With Shishio, it was impossible to guess. No doubt he had them placed strategically enough so that in one fell swoop he could destroy any invading army, civilian casualties be damned. "Kenshin? What are we going to do?" Kaoru asked, her voice cracking slightly.

"I'm going to beat him before he has a chance to use those weapons," he said, only he wished that he was as sure and steadfast as his voice made him sound. He needed to find his master...he didn't think that he was going to be strong enough to take on Soujiro and Shishio both, plus whoever else was still alive at Shishio's stronghold. To win, he needed the final move of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu. Gripping his katana's hilt, he strode forward purposefully. "Let's go!"


	28. Baka Deshi

**AN- Okay, so, here's the next chapter for you guys. I was a little worried that it would take me a while to get this out, but once I figured out certain details, it got done a lot quicker than I expected. Hopefully I'll be able to keep up this tempo. This story is actually starting to draw to a close, as it ends with Shishio's defeat. Hopefully I'll get the story finished in less than four months. Sorry for the long absence, guys, and thank you to everyone who remained a faithful reader after all this time.**

**Read, enjoy, and please review! **

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

BAKA DESHI

Kenshin licked his slightly dry lips as he stealthily approached the man sitting at the kiln. He only had one chance at this! He darted forward, not making a sound, concentrating on his target, the wind roaring against his face as he got in range, and whipped his sword out of its sheath in a horizontal battojutsu attack, the sword whistling through the air...only to pass through nothing, as the man disappeared. Cursing, Kenshin jinked to the side, narrowly missing the counterstrike from the thoroughly displeased looking man who stood before him. "Baka deshi," the charismatic man the size of a bear muttered, a sneer on his handsome face. "After I took care of that one samurai from the Juppongatana, I thought I told you that I was done doing favors, that I didn't want to see you anymore."

Kenshin said nothing, simply kept light on his feet, sword at the ready position.

"However, I can guess what you are here for. Listen, baka deshi, listen carefully."

Kenshin stilled his breathing, concentrating on the world around him, listening to the rustling of the changing leaves in the wind, the sound of the trickling brook that ran by his master's remote cabin, and overlying that was the distant roar of the waterfall that was nearby. However, when the wind shifted and blew in from Kyoto, the sound of modern battle could be heard. Sano and Saitô were down there now, helping the Americans capture and hold territory, as well as organizing what CRF units and local resistance groups could be mustered. Aoshi and Misao were organizing intelligence gathering and reporting between the two forces fighting against the CIF. It was a stiff battle, and both sides were losing men by the dozens, if not by the hundreds.

"This war is now at my doorstep, and you come, seeking strength with which to kill Shishio Makoto. I never taught you the final secret of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, and you will need that to defeat Shishio. You really _are_ a baka deshi." He stopped, glaring at Kenshin contemptuously. "Himura Kenshin, you are not _worthy_ of the succession technique!"

Kenshin could only stare at him in shock. "_Demo_..._Shishou_..."

"_Silence_ when your master speaks before you!" Hiko thundered, eyes flashing like lightning. "You ignored everything I ever taught you save for the technique! I told you repeatedly that you couldn't side with any faction! If you do, then you are tied to a political system, not an ideology! How can you protect all within your sight if you are following some fool's orders like a dog? I know what this has done to you, how you have an angel and a demon residing within your mind!"

Kenshin grimaced. "But, _Shishou_, I couldn't let the people suffer, and there is no officer amongst Shishio's armies that acts out of anything but greed! Choosing the Chosu was the only logical reason, they are striving to build a better world!"

"And what of the innocent people that they have hurt? I know that you've assassinated at least one person who was causing no harm, committed no crime other than opposing the Chosu and what they stand for!"

"At least I didn't sit up on the mountain, acting as a hermit, doing _nothing_ as millions suffered under a mad-man's insane yoke!"

Hiko recoiled a little at that, a look of shock briefly flitting over his face. Then his angry mask was back in place. "If you do not understand my reasons for not acting, that you are even worse than a baka deshi," he snapped bitterly as he relaxed his stance and sheathed his katana. "I will not teach you the secret."

"But, _Shishou_, if I don't learn the secret then who knows how many more people will die?"

"It is not my issue," he retorted angrily before turning on his heel and making his way back towards his kiln. Kenshin grit his teeth, thinking rapidly, trying to figure out some way to...

"I challenge you!" he shouted out, and Hiko paused. "If I can manage to hit you with my sword, you teach me the secret."

Hiko turned back towards him, a thoughtful expression on his face. "What is in it for me?"

Kenshin grinned, sweat breaking out on his forehead. "You get the chance to beat on your baka deshi to your heart's content."

Hiko smirked. "An interesting proposition. You think you can hit me?"

The ringing of steel against steel and Kenshin darted to the left, swinging again. Hiko blocked the strike effortlessly, the same cocky look on his face. The next few minutes were spent in deadly concentration, blades flashing as Kenshin tried to find an opening. _There!_ He swung, and-

He was on the ground, trying to breathe. Hiko stood over him, smirking victoriously. "You're going to have to try harder than that, baka deshi. Get up, I only kicked you in the stomach." Groaning, he rolled up onto his knees, gritting his teeth at the pain. He'd fought through worse pain, but he wasn't fighting his master in those fights. Sucking in a deep breath, he charged forward, trying to fake a sweeping attack. Hiko began to swing a blocking move, and Kenshin leapt as high as he could. "Hiten Misturugi-ryu, Ryūtsui-!"

"Baka." Hiko was above him, and Kenshin was already committed to his strike, he couldn't shift to the defense fast enough! The sudden shock of an impact against his left collar bone as Hiko struck him with the dull side of his katana, hard enough to leave a bruise, but not hard enough to break anything. He hurtled to the ground, and slammed against it in a painful heap. He rolled out of the way as Hiko followed up his attack with a heel strike to the ground, the ground cracking under the strength of the blow. "You have to try harder than that to hit me, baka deshi! What's the matter, have you grown weak since we last crossed blades?"

_**The Battôsai is anything but weak!**_ came the scream from within his head, and Kenshin couldn't do anything as Battôsai took over, rushing forward with a feral scream. Hiko only gave a wider smirk as he jumped up and back, blade raising for an attack. Battôsai snarled as he prepared to counter the sword attack, and then crashed to the ground again as Hiko snapped a kick into his side. "Just because my blade is raised doesn't mean that I'm going to attack with it, baka deshi! You should know this already."

Battôsai sprang to his feet, prepared to make a witty retort when Hiko loomed in front of him, sword sheathed, saya free from his belt, and he knew that he faced the two part Battojutsu, the Sōryūsen. His actions were swift, and completely accurate as he brought up his sword, one hand resting on the blade itself as a means to provide more stability from when Hiko actually struck his waiting sword. There was a crash that jolted up his arms, and he looked down at Hiko's still sheathed sword. _**Wait...what?**_

"Hiten Mitsurgi-ryu...Sōryūsen Ikazuchi!" Hiko shouted, and there was a starburst followed by a crashing clamor of noise as Hiko struck him in the side of the head with the flat of his blade. He collapsed bonelessly, on the ground for the fourth time in as many minutes. He rolled over, head swimming as he fought the urge to vomit. Kenshin groaned as he realized that he was now back in control of his body. "You won't be able to beat me as Battôsai, baka deshi. You will need to defeat both him and the Rurouni before you will be able to learn the secret." Kenshin slowly clambered to his feet, his usual grace gone. He couldn't quit. Every moment that he stay on the ground was a moment that more soldiers died. He would learn this secret even if it killed him!

The cycle continued for hours. Slowly, grudgingly, Kenshin realized that he had to commit everything into a single strike. Hiko was simply too good, was too skilled. If he didn't commit to one attack, he was never going to learn what he needed. Gathering his waning strength, he leapt into the sky, closely followed by Hiko, who still bore the same smirk. "Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu!" they both shouted simultaneously. "Ryūtsui-!" "Ryūshō-!" "-_**SEN**_!" A flash as bright as lightning, a roar as loud as thunder, followed by darkness as dark as pitch. Kenshin knew no more.

12 September; Hiko Seijūrō's Clearing, outside of Kyoto, 1907hrs; Himura Kenshin's POV:

He awoke with a start before sitting up, clutching his aching head. "Owww," he muttered before glancing to his side. "N-nani?" His sword was broken, cut in half, a result of the last attack.

"Finally you did something intelligent that also showed you truly are a baka deshi. You concentrated everything on the last attack, and as a result you hit your head when you fell down. However..." Hiko trailed off, and Kenshin glanced at him, immediately spotting the shallow scratch on his forearm. "You still hit me. I guess I have to teach you the final secret now."

"But, Shishou...my sword is..."

"Catch!" The sword came hurtling towards him, and he snatched it out of the air reflexively. "This was in a shrine inside of Kyoto, and after Shishio took over I went and rescued it. Had to beat some weirdo with a broomhead for hair, but he was so easy to defeat that he ran away like a little girl after I beat on him for a while." Kenshin slowly drew the blade, shocked to see...

"A sakabatō?" He tested the balance and the grip, surprised at how natural it felt. "It feels...right." He remembered Kaoru's plea to spare as many lives as possible. Maybe with this sword, he could truly adhere to that promise.

"I did some research. You have heard of Arai Shakku, yes? This is his final sword, unequal to any other blade forged by human hands. Though a sakabatō, you could not be more blessed to have that blade in your hands."

"Hai."

"Now come, you have to be taught the succession technique," Hiko ordered briskly, and Kenshin stood, wobbling slightly on his feet before following his master. "There, stand there. If you move a muscle, you will die. You remember all the nine sword strikes, yes?"

Kenshin blinked, and nodded. "Hai...there is the head, the Karatake...the left and right shoulders, the Kesagiri and the Sakagesi. The right and left arms, the Hidarinagi and the Miginagi. The Hidari-kiriage, the right leg, and the Migi-kiriage, the left leg, and the groin, the Sakakaze. Finally, there is the chest, the Tsuki."

"I'm glad you remembered at least that much. All of the sword strikes falls into one of these regions. The defense revolves around these areas, as well. And yet..." Hiko exploded into movement, and Kenshin couldn't move a finger as Hiko blew past him, skidding to a halt in the mountain dirt. All nine regions of his body had been hit in an instant. "Hiten Misturugi-ryu, Kuzu-ryūsen. With the godlike speed of our style, all nine areas can be struck simultaneously. Unlike the 'Dragon's Lair,' Ryūsōsen, all nine strikes of the Kuzu-ryūsen are fatal. It is a charging attack, therefore difficult to dodge. It is my greatest attack." Kenshin swallowed dryly. "Now that you have seen it, do it!" Hiko ordered, and Kenshin nodded before taking up that stance.

_You can't dodge it, but not because it moves beyond the human ability to see...I could see all the strikes very clearly. Therefore_... "Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu...KUZU-RYŪSEN!" To his surprise, he flowed into the attack. All other moves that he had learned had been learned through pain, through getting beat up by Hiko until he learned properly. He rocketed towards Hiko, who only smirked his maddening smirk. To Kenshin's surprise, he did the same move right back at him, and they collided. Kenshin's attack was overcome by Hiko's, and he hit the ground, sliding to a stop. "But..." he gasped, "what went wrong?"

"Absolutely nothing, baka deshi. Physics worked against you. I'm bigger, faster, and stronger than you, so therefore my attack will always defeat your attack."

"But then..." Shishio was a master, he might be able to counter the Kuzu-ryūsen.

Hiko grinned. "There is _one_ move that can beat the Kuzu-ryūsen, baka deshi...the succession technique for Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu."

Kenshin stared at him with wide eyes, flustered for a moment. "Eto..." It was like Hiko to lead him on like that. "Hai, shishou."

"The Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki, the Dragon Flight of Heaven. The Kuzu-ryūsen was originally created as a test of initiation, not as a means of battle. Now think...what is the one way to defeat the Kuzu-ryūsen?"

Kenshin paused, and then grimaced, sheathing the sakabatō. "It would have to be Battojutsu, a strike to land before the Kuzu-ryūsen does." He dropped into the null form, and Hiko glared at his questioningly.

"Back to the river, eh? Reckless, to give everything you have to this. Is that such a good idea?"

"I have no choice, Shishou. I must try for the secret, even if I die as a result."

Hiko stared at him for a few moments before sneering. "You really are a baka deshi! If you don't understand what Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu truly stands for, then you will die here. You have the night to discover the fault within your soul. If you fail, you will die by my hand." Without another word, Hiko turned around and made his way into his cabin. Kenshin only stared after him for a few moments before making his way over to the kiln, where he would spend the next thirteen hours brooding, listening to the Rurouni and the Battôsai squabble.


End file.
